News from the Nest

08/09 - Meet the Teacher @ JCES (4:30 - 6:30)

08/13 - First Day of School

09/02 - Labor Day Holiday

Join us for a come-and-go opportunity to meet your child's 2024-25 teacher and drop off school supplies. School supplies ordered through our PTO will be available at this time.

Teachers will begin contacting students to let them know they are going to be their 2024-25 teacher at the end of the day on Thursday, August 8th. They will continue on Friday, August 9th. If your child does not receive a call, it may be that we have invalid contact information listed in Skyward, need updated shot records, or we have incomplete registration paperwork. Lists will also be posted at Meet the Teacher for reference.

Join us us for this family event to help everyone get ready for "Back to School!"

Find your grade-level School Supply List Here!

Please check out our Arrival and Dismissal Procedure slides for maps and clear descriptions of these processes.

A little information to help this process to be efficient- The Car Rider staging line is 2 lanes that merge into one near the front corner of the building where the Car Callers are standing. The theory of the Car Rider process is very similar to that of a roller coaster. 10 cars pull up to load students, they pull away, and 10 more pull up to load. If one stops in the middle, prior to their designated cone, it disrupts the process. If cars leave the line to drive around other cars and then try to cut back in, this also disrupts the system.

• If your child needs assistance getting in their car seat that requires you to get out of your car, please pull up past cone one. We will get your child to you and this will allow the process to continue with fewer delays.
• If you would like avoid the line and park to pick up your student. Please let their teacher know that you will be a parent walk-up. You can meet your child on the outdoor basketball court. Please do not walk up to the front and expect to take your child from the car rider staging area.
• For the safety of our students, please don't assign your child as a walker and have them walk to your car in the car rider line.

We ask for your patience as this system takes a few days to get into the routine. Being in a hurry at arrival and dismissal is never a good mix for the safety of our students.

The safety of our students is our number one concern! Please put your cell phones away while driving on campus!

Hot lunches and breakfast will be available in the cafeteria. Breakfast will be free for all students. In order for students to qualify for free or reduced lunch, they must apply and be approved for the meal program. This information must be updated annually.

Morning Drop-Off - The first two days of school parents may walk their child(ren) to their classrooms between 7:20 - 7:35. Beginning the third day of school (Thursday, August 15th) families are welcome to walk their student(s) inside the building and drop off students in Central Park, the area with trees and birds outside of the cafeteria before 7:35. This will be our "Hugs and High Five Zone" where we ask parents to give hugs, kisses, and well wishes and allow their child to report to their designated areas. Parents will be asked not to go beyond Central Park or into the cafeteria unless they have an appointment and have checked in with the front office. If you choose to walk your child into the building, please park in a parking spot. Curbsides, Fire Lanes, and the car rider line are not appropriate places to park while walking students into the building.

Lunch Times - Parents will be able to join their child(ren) for lunch through a sign-up sheet. We have seating for five families per lunchtime. We ask that families sign up for no more than one time per week to eat with their child. Parents may only bring food for/ eat lunch with their own child at the tables outside of the cafeteria in Central Park. Friends will be unable to join families for lunch. Please be mindful that you will need your driver's license to be able to check into our Raptor System for lunch. Please allow time for this process. If you are the parent of a Pre-k/Kinder/First Grader, we would strongly suggest you give it a few weeks before joining your child for lunch. The transition back to class is often hard to make when students are getting used to their new routines. Save your child and yourself from having to endure this difficult transition by waiting a few weeks.

Sign Up Here!

Dismissal - To maintain the efficiency of our systems and not impede hallway traffic, we ask that parents not enter the building during dismissal times unless they have an appointment or need to visit the office.

Changes In Going Home Method - Clear Communication is imperative to help us ensure that our students are sent home through the proper methods each day. If you need to change the way your student goes home, please send a note with your child to the teacher stating this. It may be helpful to even send an email to cover all bases. If an emergency occurs, and a last minute change must take place, please call the office before 2:00 so that a message may be delivered to your child’s teacher. Phone or email messages are not a reliable form of communication in this situation. Also, please make sure this is a rare occurrence and only used in emergency situations.

Please go ahead and complete the Volunteer Background Check if you would like to volunteer/help or visit campus or attend field trips. This must be completed annually, but the procedures this year have been simplified through another system.

• The students are expected to follow the dress code, click here for the PfISD dress code. Students are strongly encouraged to wear tennis shoes on days that they have PE.
• Students may bring disposable or refillable water bottles with a secure lid. We have bottle fillers throughout the campus that can be used to refill their water bottles.

If your child needs to take medication during the school day, parents must complete a medication administration form for each medication that is provided to the school. As well as asthma, allergy, or seizure action plan, etc. that must be completed by the doctor. Forms can be found at on the district Heath Services Website.

Parents can contact me at chantal.drumgole@pfisd.net for questions or if they would like to schedule a time to drop off medications.

Showing up for the educational day has a big impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play an important role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life. We understand some absences can be unavoidable due to health issues or extenuating circumstances. We also know that when students miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall behind academically. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she is chronically absent—which means missing 15 or more days over the course of an entire school year.

Research shows:

• Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.

• By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school.

• By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th-grade test scores.

Here are a few practical tips to help support consistent attendance:

1. Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.

2. Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

3. Ensure your students go to school every day unless they are truly sick. Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.

4. Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.

5. Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.

How to contact the PTO

Email: carpenterelempto@gmail.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Jessica-Carpenter-Elementary-PTO-102791122066129

Remind App: https://www.remind.com/join/ggkbdk

Jessica Carpenter Elementary PTO

General Meeting 6:30pm-7:30pm

@ Carpenter Community Room

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

If you visit Office Depot as you are shopping for school supplies, make sure to choose Carpenter to give back to at the register. You can also choose Carpenter from a drop-down menu for online orders as well.

Location: 5100 Pleasanton Parkway, Pflugerville, TX, USA
Phone: 512-594-4900

Website: https://www.pfisd.net/Domain/2083
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jessica-Carpenter-Elementary-School-107181591422432

Office Hours: 7:05 AM - 3:30 PM