Dear Families,

This spring is a busy time for families as we wrap up the school year, but it's also an exciting opportunity to embrace the principles of the Leader In Me program. Encouraging our students to take initiative and show leadership helps them grow as individuals and contribute positively to our school and community.

We are going to kick off April by celebrating Texas Fruits and Vegetable Day this Friday, April 4th. We invite students to join in and wear the color of their favorite fruit or vegetable. More information about this Texas holiday can be found at Texas Fruits and Vegetable Day.

Also, our PTO Spring Carnival is coming up this month! Join us on Saturday, April 12th, from 2-5 PM for an afternoon filled with games, a petting zoo, Kona Ice, bounce houses, and much more. It promises to be a wonderful time for families to come together and celebrate the season!

As we enter state testing this month, please note that we will have multiple dates where our campus will be closed. Third and fourth grade parents, we encourage you to motivate your students as the test dates approach. We are not stressing them out; think of this as their moment to show off their skills, like athletes preparing for a big game! They have worked hard in preparation, and we are proud of the effort they will showcase.

With spring also comes the warmer weather. As we transition into our spring and summer attire, please remember to review our school dress code to ensure that all clothing meets dress code standards. You can find the specific guidelines in the district handbook at the following link: District Handbook. The dress code can be found on pages 58 and 59 of the handbook.

Please take a look at our April calendar and updated Spring Semester at a glance below for all important dates.

Thank you for partnering with us in all endeavors to ensure your student's success!

Sincerely,

Andrea Brandon

West Elementary Principal

Thank you for your continued support in our school community. As we practice the seven habits of highly effective leaders through the Leader In Me program, we encourage you to support your child in applying these habits at home and in their daily lives.

Here are some examples of how students can demonstrate leadership outside of school:

• Community Service: Encourage your child to participate in community service projects, such as helping at local food banks, participating in neighborhood clean-ups, or volunteering at animal shelters. These activities teach responsibility and empathy.

• Team Sports: Whether they are on a sports team or participating in recreational activities, students can show leadership by motivating teammates, displaying good sportsmanship, and encouraging others to do their best.

• Clubs and Organizations: Joining clubs, such as scouting or youth organizations, allows students to take initiative and work collaboratively with peers. They can organize events, lead discussions, or take on responsibilities that contribute to the group's goals.

• Family Responsibilities: At home, students can practice leadership by taking on chores, helping siblings with homework, or planning family activities. These small actions build confidence and a sense of accountability.

With spring upon us, it's a wonderful time for students to engage in various activities and sports. These experiences allow them to exemplify the leadership skills they are developing in school. Please remind your children to be positive role models outside of the classroom as well.

We love having our PTO partner with us to support staff and provide fun, unique experiences for our students and families.

Use the QR code on the invite to sign up for our PTO. It's never too late to sign up.

Follow our Hallsville West PTO on social media to stay up to date on all the events they are sponsoring this spring and see how you can be involved.

PTO will be hosting our 2nd Annual Title 1 Spring Carnival, April 12th, from 2-5 pm. Check out the flyer below for more information.

Please take a minute and look over these reminders to help us have a great start to the second semester:

• Students who use our shuttle service to go to other campuses need to arrive by 7:12 to make it through the building to the buses. Our buses leave promptly at 7:15 to ensure they arrive at their other campuses on time.
• Make sure that your personal information as well as all emergency contact information is up to date in skyward.
• Follow our Hallsville West Elementary Facebook page - we post tons of information and pictures of what is happening on our campus.
• Please label all jackets, lunch boxes and water bottles with your students first and last name.
• Our front drop off opens at 7:15 and the back opens at 7:20. If your child is able to open the car door and get out unassisted, we encourage them to do so when staff is present, after you have pulled up to the covered sidewalk and all traffic has stopped.

It is important for students to be at school every day and on time. Students are considered tardy after 7:45 am and will need an adult to sign him/her into school. Please park out front in the small parking lot and walk your student into the front office. If your child is sick, remember to send a doctor's note or parent note when he/she returns. We appreciate your help with ensuring your child's academic success.

Arrival Time: begins at 7:15, shuttles at 7:00

Dismissal Time: PreK - 3:20, K - 4th - 3:30

Please see the pictures below for car line traffic flow maps.

Morning Drop Off:

In the mornings, we utilize a SINGLE file line closest to the building for drop offs. To help with the timeliness, we will open both the front and back of the building for drop offs.

• Front drop off begins at 7:15
• Back drop off begins at 7:20
• If your child is able to open the car door and get out unassisted, we encourage them to do so AFTER you have pulled up to the covered sidewalk and AFTER all traffic has stopped.
• Please do not try to pull around other cars to exit. We will work to ensure traffic moves quickly and everyone exits in a single line.

Afternoon Dismissal:

We split into two lanes at the front of the building for dismissal.

• Kindergarten, 1st grade, and sibling groups are assigned to the A lane, closest to the building.
• 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades are assigned to the B lane. They must cross the driveway crosswalk for pick up.
• You will go in the same lane every day. We do not switch back and forth due to how Car Rider Pro is set up. Even when someone is absent, stay in your assigned lane.

We are using Car Rider Pro this year. If you need additional or replacement tags, please come in to our front office or call 903-668-5993 and ask for Cassidy or Cynthia. The cost for additional or replacement tags is $7, cash or check.

Please remember the following to ensure that your tag scans each day for pick up.

• You must have your Car Rider Pro Tag hanging for it to scan on the reader. DO NOT block the reader.
• We will open the gate for car line at 2:00 pm. You may not line up prior to that time.

If you have an elementary student that attends West and you have older siblings that attend Intermediate, Junior High, or High School, you can choose to drop your older siblings off at West and they can board a shuttle bus to go to their campuses.

We do ask that if you are using the shuttle service you enter and exit from the loop, due to bus traffic using the Page Road entrance. There is a separate, smaller driveway for the shuttle service, as indicated by the green arrows on our traffic flow maps.

You may begin dropping off at 7:00 am, and the shuttle leaves promptly at 7:15 am. You will need to arrive by 7:10 am to ensure that your older students get loaded onto the shuttle buses before they leave. If you arrive after the bus leaves, you will only be able to drop of your West Elementary student a will need to drive your other students to school.

The afternoon shuttle will return to campus between 4:00 - 4:15 pm. You need not arrive at the West Elementary campus prior to 4:00 pm to pick up your students.

Should these times not work for your family, your students can also catch the bus to their campuses from your home.

Questions regarding the shuttle system can be emailed to Nicole Cates at ncates@hisd.com or Joshua Stewart at jstewart2@hisd.com

Food Service update for 24-25

• to setup or maintain your student's Lunch Money Now! account please visit: https://www.lunchmoneynow.com/lmnhal/

• to begin the application process for free and reduced priced meals at Hallsville ISD please visit: https://www.mealappnow.com/manhal/

Prices for student meals:

Breakfast $1.50, reduced $0.30

Lunch $3.00, reduced $0.40