The Lion's Roar

Greetings SJW Family,

I am both proud and honored to serve as your new School Principal. There are so many wonderful things happening at Williamson Elementary and my desire is to see that it continues. The partnership between the school and home is a formula for success.

One very important factor in any school is safety. We want to do our due diligence to keeping everyone safe at all times. Many of our decisions derive from our efforts to maintain a safe environment. There is a need to make adjustments and return to some of the safety procedures that have always been a part of our school culture. Recently, we have noticed the need to executed a few of our procedures more intentionally. We need the help of all of our teachers, students and parents to put student safety first. Safety practices may not always be the most convenient, but the reword is priceless. Please help us by cooperating as we put the well being of our students first. We will start by making our parking lot and transportation lines more safe.

State testing season is upon us, and our 3-5 grade students will take the STAAR test this month. Our students and staff are hard at work preparing for these tests and we know they will do great! Please flag your calendar with these important dates listed below.

Tuesday, April 16th - 3rd-5th Reading STAAR

Thursday, April 18th- 5th Science STAAR

Wednesday, April 24th - 3rd-5th grade Math STAAR

Our Father Daughter Dance has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2024. More information will be communicated as we get closer to the date.

As we gear up for the 2024-2025 school year, please take a moment to complete the form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Sapp, our Data Specialist.

We would like to take a moment to remind everyone about our dress code policy. Our dress code plays a crucial role in maintaining a positive and focused learning environment while promoting respect and professionalism among our students. We request your cooperation in ensuring that your child adheres to the dress code daily.

Parents are invited to eat lunch with their student every Monday. All visitors must follow the clear bag policy. Also, all visitors will be required to check-in with proper identification in the front office and obtain a visitors badge. The lunch times can be found below.

Be sure to read the newsletter in its entirety as we have some very important information to share with you.

With warm regards,

Mrs. Kimberly Wells

Principal, Shirley J. Williamson Elementary

PK- 5th Grade

7:35 AM -3:15 PM

Tardy Bell

7:35 AM

*Parents must walk the student in.

Dismissal

3:15 PM

Bus Guidelines & Expectations

Cell Phone Policy & Expectations

Parents are highly encouraged to email parents or doctor's note about your child's absence to AttendanceWILL@galenaparkisd.com

Be sure to include the following:

1. Student name

2. Date(s) of absences

3. Specific reason for the absence

4. Parent/guardian Signature

5. Parent/guardian phone number

6. Date note was written

Additionally, notes should be submitted no later than 3 school days after the student's absence. Only the first five parent notes will excuse the absence, according to the GPISD Student Handbook (p. 3). If you have any questions, please contact our Data Specialist, Ms. Sapp at 832-386-4004.

Bus Riders

Please check your bus route number on the Galena Park ISD transportation site. School personnel does not assign a student a bus route. Please communicate with the office by 2:30 pm if the students need a transportation change.

Walking is reserved for students who reside in the subdivision surrounding the campus. Pre-K & Kinder students will only be released if with a sibling or if parent meets student. Thank you for helping us to keep students safe at dismissal.

Morning Drop Off-

• We ask that students be dropped off along the circle ramp to ensure the safety of all students. Parent can not park in the Staff Parking Lot or the on the Bus Ramp to drop students of or walk them across. The only exceptions are designated cars using the Lion's Lane.

Afternoon Pick Up-

• All car riders need a tag with a school assigned number for dismissal. An ID check (in the front office) is required if you do not have car tag at the time of pick up. Siblings will have the same car tag number if living in the same home. Practice car tag numbers with students. This will speed up the process. Vehicles without official/current car tags will be asked to park in the visitor parking lot and an adult with a verified ID must report to the main office, after 3:30pm.
  

Students should not be dropped off or picked up in the staff parking lot. This is for your safety. All parents must remain in their car and utilized the designated areas to safely drop- off and pick-up students. Thank you in advance for complying with our procedures. These procedures are in place to keep our students safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the office.

Fridays are Spirit Days or College Day at SJW and students are encouraged to wear a spirit shirt or a college/university shirt.

Stay tuned for other special days when students can dress up or celebrate!

We know celebrating a birthday is very special, and we want to welcome you to send store bought cupcakes or goodie bags with your child or drop them off to the front office staff before 2:00 pm. The teacher will pass out the treats after 2 pm to the students in the class. Please get with the teacher about the number of students in the class.