
Peak Points
Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Kind, Be Safe
December 13th
Dear Mt. Peak Family,
As we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible work happening here at Mt. Peak. From the creative classroom activities to the many performances and events, it’s a joy to see our students and staff shine. A special shoutout to our Peak students who represented us so well at the annual All City Choir event—it’s always inspiring to see their hard work and talent on display!
As we finish out the semester, don’t forget that Winter Party Day is just around the corner on December 18th. To help things run smoothly, please make sure to RSVP using the link below so we can have your badge pre-printed for quick and easy check-in.
Thank you for all you do to make Mt. Peak a wonderful place for learning and growth.
Adam Henke
Principal
Upcoming Dates:
Dec 18: Winter Parties
Dec 19: Student Early Release Day
Dec 19: End of 2nd 9 Weeks
Dec 20: Student Holiday/Teacher Exchange Day
Dec 23-Jan 3: Student/Staff Holiday (Winter Break)
Jan 6: Teacher Workday (Student Holiday)
Jan 7: Teacher Professional Development (Student Holiday)
Jan 8: 1st Day Back for Students
This Week at the Peak!
Mt Peak's Teacher of the Year!
Mrs. Sparks has exemplified excellence in education through her dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to student success. As our ABLE teacher, she has gone above and beyond to create an engaging and inclusive learning environment, ensuring every student feels valued and inspired to reach their full potential.
Colleagues, students, and parents alike have recognized Mrs. Sparks for her perseverance. She has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to ensuring that every child succeeds. Her dedication, hard work, and ability to remain steadfast in the face of adversity make her a beacon of hope and inspiration for both colleagues and students.
Please join us in celebrating Mrs. Spark's outstanding achievements and thanking her for the continued dedication to her students and staff. Congratulations, Mrs. Spark’s, we are beyond blessed to have you at Mt. Peak!
Buddies did Christmas stations today. They rotated from Christmas tree decorating to coloring station to a patterning station and finished with a wishlist for Santa. Our fourth grade friends were teachers in patterning and tracing the wishlist.
Henkles and Twinkles had quite a few friends join them this week to help leave letters to the secret message! Some classes have uncovered the secret message and have earned a prize! See if you can discover their secret message!
One of the best days of the year! Grinch Day! We loved having him here to start our day!
Masked Singer - Holiday Style with the GRINCH! It was our very own Ms. Taylor featuring the Grinch! Congratulations to Mrs. Cobb for guessing correctly!
We had round 2 of the Masked Singer - Holiday Style! It’s was our very own Mr. Henke and Ms. Waldroup and Mrs. McVey’s class was the call in winner. Their performance was so stellar they’ve decided to go ahead and put together an entire Christmas Album. Please see the comments for the amazing video!
We added to our campus Holiday fun with round 1 of the Masked Singer Holiday style! Wow! Good luck following this up! Congratulations to Mrs. Hanson’s class for guessing correctly! Thanks Ms. Foster for sharing your talent!
Our 5th graders did a fantastic job preforming The Littlest Reindeer to our campus this morning. There is an evening performance tonight, doors open at 5:45! Come out and see our talented 5th graders tonight!
Our Peak students did a phenomenal job representing at the annual district All City Choir event at Midlothian High School last Friday!
The Adopt-a-Shelf program is in its first year at MPE and is open for 3rd and 4th grade students. Students are assigned a shelf in the library and they are to check on it throughout the week to make sure the shelf is neat and orderly. This lets student take responsibility and pride in the library, while helping Mrs. Hobbs.
On Mondays, a winner of each section is chosen. Winners each week will be put in to a drawing for prizes, including free books, at the end of each semester.
Next Week(s) At the Peak!
DOGS - Dads of Great Students
We are excited to share an opportunity to get involved with the school through our Father Figure volunteer group, DOGS. This group steps in to help whenever the need arises, whether it's assisting with the drop-off car line on Friday mornings or giving our staff a break during particularly cold or rainy weather. The commitment is flexible—you don't need to be there every Friday, but when you can participate, the kids and staff truly appreciate it.
We'll also have various opportunities throughout the school year to help out with setting up for school events. It's a great way to make a positive impact, and the kids love seeing the dads and father figures involved.
If you'd like to join, please click [this link] to sign up.
Background Checks
While completing a background check isn't mandatory, it's always a good idea to have one on file in case an event comes up that requires volunteer help inside the school. You can complete the Volunteer Background Check here.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Mr. Henke at adam.henke@midlothianisd.org.
We would love to see a strong group of men involved at Mt. Peak, so please consider signing up!
We would love you to follow along during the week for updates of what is happening at Mt Peak. You can follow along on Facebook There is an imposter site. So, please follow the one with a picture of the school in the header.
Staff Shout Outs!
The Mt Peak mission statement is the Mt Peak family will make a positive difference in the lives we touch by putting children first and challenging everyone to reach their full potential.
Our staff is working so hard for your kids! We would love for you to share the impact they are having on your child or any special information you would like to share. Please fill out this form for us.
Thank you!
Letter from the Counselor
Counselor's Corner
Well, it certainly has started to feel like Winter this week! I am so enjoying our 12 days of holiday dress-up as I have seen hats, necklaces, socks, shirts, outfits, etc. for the season. This week our campus has continued to discuss the character trait of Responsibility and all that it entails. I am looking forward to hearing about the responsibilities that are important to our students as we continue to focus on this trait. Thank you for your continued support!
Wendy Waldroup
Counselor
Capturing Kids Hearts
CKH Survey....
Mt Peak Family,
At Mt Peak we are committed to providing our students with the best possible environment to thrive and succeed. As we approach the second semester, we would love to hear your feedback on how we’re doing and how we can improve.
We are particularly seeking your insights on implementing Capturing Kids' Hearts and its impact on our school community. Your input is invaluable in helping us create a positive, supportive, and inclusive environment where every student feels valued and empowered to excel.
Please take a few moments to complete the survey linked below. Your feedback will directly influence our plans for the second semester, ensuring we continue to grow and better meet the needs of our students and families.
Thank you for your continued support, dedication, and partnership in making Mt Peak an exceptional place for our students. We deeply value your perspective and look forward to hearing from you.
December's Lead Worthy Character Trait is Responsibility
What is Responsibility?
Responsibility is the willingness and ability to take ownership of our thoughts, words, and actions. We have a responsibility to our school, family, and community to be accountable for our choices and how they impact ourselves and others.
Why focus on Responsibility?
- Responsibility teaches resilience. It is not possible to persevere and achieve our dreams without taking personal responsibility seriously.
- Responsibility empowers us to own our actions. There is great power in being able to make conscious, calculated choices to reach goals and manage those things in our control.
- Responsibility teaches us to manage our time and resources. Responsibly organizing and prioritizing needs is an executive function of the brain that improves with practice.
Responsibility in Action:
- Give students roles and responsibilities. When students have a leadership role in class, they are accountable for contributing positively to the classroom culture.
- Empower students with self-management tools. Provide students with tools to help manage stress and impulsivity while motivating them to meet goals.
- Clearly communicate consequences. Empower students to make choices and experience the consequences of their actions, both positive and negative.
PTO
PTO Meeting Dates
Mark your calendars! Check back regularly for updates and new events added
Feb 11: PTO Meeting
Mar 6: PTO Meeting
Apr 1: 6:00 PM 1st Grade Performance & PTO Meeting
Apr 17: PTO Auction
May 15: PTO meeting voting for new board members
YMCA News
The YMCA utilizes Mt Peak for after school care on school days! For more information and the weekly newsletter click the button below.
District News
Per MISD Athletics,
- Families should enter through Gate A.
- Free admission is available only for campus students. Parents are required to purchase a ticket.
- Students can either show their student ID or wear a campus spirit shirt for entry.
MISD enforces a Clear Bag Policy.
Please note that outside drinks (including tumblers) and food are not permitted.
A campus administrator will be on duty at Gate A to welcome families and answer any questions that may come up. Thank you! It is going to be a fun season, and I cannot wait to see the kids at the big game!
YMCA After-school childcare registration is open
Mt Peak has a great director and would love to serve you. Register here for after-school childcare.
What to do if I’m no longer receiving text alerts or emails?
If you believe you have opted into the text alert feature and are not receiving text messages, go to your Skyward Family Access account and click on “Skylert” to verify your contact information. Update information if needed and allow 24 hours for our systems to recognize your changes. You should begin receiving text alerts and emails.
If you unsubscribed to receiving email notification please complete this form (https://forms.gle/3sUmoWnjT7S7cpx27) to re-activate your email notifications.
HB 3 required parent notice on practicing safe firearm storage
All Texas school districts are required by law to distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. House Bill 3, Section 19 added Section 37.222 to the Texas Education Code, which requires the Texas School Safety Center, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Public Safety, to provide information and resources to school districts for the purpose of disseminating the information to parents. The Texas DPS launched a Keep ‘Em Safe Texas website that provides safety resources, materials, and tips for practicing safe gun storage to prevent accidents and keep children safe. Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.
Help Guides to Assist Parents/Students with District Resources
Below are resources that have been previously shared with parents/students with accessing and logging in to district resources. As we approach mid year we wanted to share them again.
UPDATE this
Bus Rider Contracts required annually
Does your student need MISD school bus transportation? All students must have a current Bus Rider Contract on file for each year. All contracts received by the July 12 deadline will secure route information and transportation for the first week of school. Contracts received after July 12 are being processed on a first come, first served basis and transportation is not guaranteed for the first week of school.
If you have not submitted a contract for your student, please fill one out and return to the Transportation Department by emailing to bus_contracts@midlothianisd.org or by delivering to 601 E. Avenue E, Midlothian. Please remember that your student cannot ride the bus until their contract is processed.
Free and Reduced Lunch Information!
Dear MISD Families,
You may have received this information directly from your campus, but we want to ensure all MISD families know about an update and opportunity from our Child Nutrition Department. Please disregard this message if you have already applied for free/reduced-price school meals for the 2023-24 school year.
Students who participated in the free/reduced-price meals program during the previous school year in Midlothian ISD could continue receiving free/reduced-price meals for the first 30 days of school. This 30-day grace period has now ended, and a new application must be submitted. Students will no longer receive free/reduced-price meals without application approval for the 2023-24 school year.
Please click here to visit the MISD Child Nutrition Department website for more information on school meals and to apply for the free/reduced-price meals program.
If you have any questions or need assistance, you can reach our Child Nutrition Department by emailing mandie.tucker@midlothianisd.org or calling (469) 856-5390.
MISD Communications
Skyward Family Access
Midlothian ISD uses Skyward Family Access for enrollment and to give parents real-time data about their student's grades, attendance, assignments, and more. Alerts can be set to individual preferences and information.
Skyward Family Access: 23-24 Quickstart Guide for Skyward Family Access
Skyward Family Access via the Web
If parents are needing assistance with the web-based version of Skyward Family Access, they can reference the document. Is full of videos to help.
Visitor Policy
MISD prioritizes the safety and security of our staff and students. We ask our MISD visitors to help us in the effort to keep kids as safe as possible. MISD appreciates your patience as we follow these procedures. To learn more about campus security and visitor guidelines, visit https://bit.ly/3QqqQzl.