The Mustang Message
August 23rd, 2024
Mrs. Miller's Top 3
Capturing Kids' Hearts
Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH) is a relationship building approach to discipline that creates self-managing groups.
How does it work?
Teachers use the EXCEL model to communicate with students. Students create their own rules via a social contract. Students hold each other accountable using "checks" and "fouls". An environment is created that emphasizes positivity though "good things" and "affirmations"
The EXCEL model:
Engage: Students are greeted at the door with a handshake, eye contact and a sincere welcome.
X-plore: Teachers listen and attend to the personal, emotional and academic needs of our students.
Communicate: Teachers communicate care as well as content.
Empower: Teachers empower students to gain the ability to "use and do" the things they have been taught.
Launch: Deals with how we "end and send" our students into the world. The purpose is to start our students on a course of action by ending our classes on a powerful note.
The Social Contract
The Social Contract is created by the students, assisted by the teacher, in effort to answer four questions regarding the environment of the classroom. The four questions include:
How do you want to be treated by the teacher?
How do you want to be treated by each other?
How do you think the teacher wants to be treated by you?
How do we want to treat each other when there is conflict?
The resulting answers make up a list of adjectives which serve as the basis for student expectations of behavior in the classroom. The Social Contract is signed by all classroom members, including the teacher. The document is a living document and is referred to on a regular basis to highlight success and serves as a guide for when problems arise.
A Note from The Librarian...
Photo Day is Coming!
Picture Day is coming on Tuesday, September 10th! Lifetouch School Photography, known for capturing school pictures from K-12 nationwide, will take our school photos this year. For more information about Picture Day, check out the flyer provided or visit: https://schools.lifetouch.com/for-your-families/
Molly McLaughlin, RN
Clinic Hours: 7:30-3:30
molly.mclaughlin@kerrvilleisd.net
(830) 257-2208 ext. 2025
Clinic Reminders for Beginning of the Year
- If you received an email and/or a phone call from Nurse Molly regarding your child’s immunization status, please get your child’s immunizations updated and email or bring in the updated records by the 1st day of school to the office or clinic.
- Please inform Nurse Molly if your child has any medical concerns/special needs/procedures or will be taking medication at school. You can go onto the main Kerrville I.S.D. website and click on the Health Services site for general information/policies and printable medical/medication forms.
- MD orders and instructions are required for all medications and procedures to be given/performed.
- Parents must bring in all medications to the clinic, not the students.
- Students are not allowed to carry any medications in their backpacks or lunch boxes.
- Only in a special circumstance will a student be able to carry their own medication. This will require MD orders and parental permission.
Medications
- All medications brought on campus must be kept in the clinic.
- For any student who must take a prescription or over-the-counter/non-prescription medication during the school day, the parent must bring a written request signed by both the physician and the parent.
- The prescription medication must be in its original container and given to the school nurse by the parent. Each over the counter medication must be in its original sealed container.
- The medication will be dispensed at the proper times in the school clinic.
- Narcotic pain medication will be administered at school at the school nurse’s discretion.
- Anabolic steroids, herbals, home remedies, vitamins, and daily supplements of any type will not be administered at school.
- Medications from outside the United States will not be administered as well as medications prescribed by out of state physicians.
- Changes in directions for administering a medication can be received via telephone from the prescribing provider, but must be confirmed in writing within 3 days of the change.
Food Allergies
Any student who suffers from food allergies should contact the school nurse, the classroom teacher, and the cafeteria manager.
At DES, there are several students and some staff members who have various food allergies. Certain classrooms may be designated as a "nut free" classroom or other food allergy. Signs will be posted on the classroom doors to warn about the potential for anaphylaxis of a student. We will also send classroom letters home to inform parents that a student in the class has this known allergy. If your class is designated as a free zone for certain food, please do not send that item in as a snack item. Thank you for helping us keep our students and staff safe!
Clinic Procedures
For the protection of all students the following will be followed. A child will be sent home with:
- Fever 100 degrees or over
- Suspected contagious disease
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Feels too bad to remain at school
If your child has any of the above symptoms in the morning before coming to school, please keep your child at home. Your child should be fever free (without fever reducing medication) for 24 hours prior to returning to school. This is for their safety as well as our school family. Any routine procedures that involves bodily fluids, will be performed in the clinic.
Community Events and Flyers
Upcoming Events
September 2nd: No School- Labor Day
September 8th-14th: National Arts in Education Week
September 10th: Fall Individual Picture Day
September 19th: National Talk Like a Pirate Day
September 19th: 3rd and 4th Grade CAM Presentations during Specials
September 20th: End of the 1st 6-Weeks Grading Period
September 20th: PBIS Glow Party Incentive
September 23rd: Student Holiday
September 24th: Start of the 2nd 6-Weeks
September 27th: 1st 6 Weeks Academic Pep Rally
Weekly Reminders
CCMR Awareness
Each Tuesday at Daniels, our staff will be trying to help promote CCMR (College, Career, and Military Readiness) by wearing shirts of different colleges, careers, and branches of the military. Although attending college is a great option for students when they graduate from high school, it isn't the only option that can lead to a rewarding and successful future. Our students may be young, but their future is bright! We invite all of our Mustangs to join in on Tuesdays and wear their favorite CCMR shirt!
Lunch Visitors
Lunch visitors will be allowed on campus starting Monday, August 19th. This will allow staff and students the opportunity to ensure that all procedures and expectations are in place in the Cafeteria.
Please note the following procedures that will be in place to help this process go smoothly.
- Visitors MUST check in at the front office by presenting their ID and obtain a visitor's pass.
- Visitors will be able to eat with their student in the designated seating. No friends or classmates will be able to join.
- Visitors are not permitted to sit at the student tables with homeroom classes.
- You are welcome to bring food for your student, but it cannot be shared with other classmates.
- Visitors will NOT be able to walk with students back to their class after lunch or attend recess with them.
- Visitors MUST sign out in the Office before leaving campus.
Scheduled Lunch Times
Kindergarten: 10:45-11:15 a.m.
1st Grade: 11:05-11:35 a.m.
2nd Grade: 11:25-11:55 a.m.
3rd Grade: 12:35-1:05 p.m.
4th Grade: 12:00-12:30 p.m.
5th Grade: 11:50-12:20 p.m.
Attendance
Our campus goal this year is 96% school-wide attendance. Regular attendance is extremely important. If your child is absent from school, please call or email your child's homeroom teacher and our Attendance Secretary as soon as you know they will not be attending school that day. Please include the reason for the absence. Excused absences are illness, medical appointments, or death in the family. Notes, calls, or emails must be received within 3 school days of the child returning. Unexcused absences may result in your child being placed on an attendance plan, prevent your child from being promoted to the next grade level, or may result in truancy charges being filed. Attendance is taken each day at 10:00 a.m. A student must be on campus at that time to be counted present.
Tardies
Students are counted tardy if they are not in their class by 7:45a.m. Parents are required to bring the student into the office to check them in if arriving after 8 a.m. Chronic tardiness will be addressed by administration. It is vital that students arrive to school on time. This time is important to helping develop social skills, organization skills, and learning to begin the day prepared. Students that arrive after 7:45 often come in behind the rest of the class, causing anxiety and stress on the student. Always allow time for traffic delays due to weather conditions and the first few weeks of school.
Campus Visitors
All visitors and volunteers must sign in at the front office before entering the campus. Our Raptor system requires a valid photo ID for all first time visitors. Each year this is reset. Visitors will be unable to enter the campus if they have not signed in with proper ID, even if the DES team knows you. We will not allow visitors to be released to classrooms unless the teacher has previously let the office staff know.
Parents are welcome to visit at lunch time during your student's grade level lunch time starting Monday, August 19th. We will continue to have a visitor's table.
At the conclusion of their visit, all visitors MUST sign out in the office before leaving campus.
Birthday Treats
Birthday treats must be store bought with a nutrition label. Treats from bakeries must also include a nutrition label.
Birthday treats may be dropped off in the front office. Visitors will not go to classrooms for birthday celebrations. Teachers will celebrate the last 15 minutes of the day, prior to dismissal. Flowers and balloons are not to be sent to school for delivery for any student.
Transportation Changes and Early Pickups
If your student needs a transportation change for the day, please do your best to contact the office by 2:00 p.m. As it gets closer to 3 p.m., it can sometimes be difficult to locate students as the dismissal process begins. We understand that emergencies happen and will assist when those arise.
We also ask that students who need to leave early are picked up by 2:30 p.m. as well. This will allow our office staff to focus on dismissal and to ensure that it runs smoothly.
Thanks for your cooperation and understanding!
Cafeteria Menu and Prices
Breakfast and Lunch are offered on campus daily. Please check the menu frequently to see any changes that might occur.
2024-2025 Meal Prices
Breakfast Paid Student - $1.75
Breakfast Reduced Student - Free
Lunch Paid Student - $3.25
Lunch Reduced Student - $0.45
Mustangs show PRIDE
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS improves social emotional competence, academic success, and school climate. It also improves teacher health and wellbeing. It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.
Kerrville ISD is utilizing PBIS on all four elementary campuses as well as at HPMS.
At Daniels, we have adopted the acronym of PRIDE. Our Mustangs are expected to show PRIDE in all they do and in all areas of the school. Students are asked to wear their badge so they can be rewarded for showing PRIDE throughout the school and by all staff members. Students are able to use their points to shop at the PBIS Store and to participate in school-wide incentives.
Water Bottles
Please remember to send a water bottle with your child each day that is labeled with their name. We will have a water bottle filling station available for students to refill their water throughout the day if needed and an option for students if they do not have a water bottle.
Cellular Devices
Please remember that all cellular devices should remain off and in student backpacks during the school day. When students have exited the building they are welcome to get their devices out and turn them on.
If you need to get a hold of your student during the school day, please contact the front office and we can relay the message to them.
Standard Response Protocol
School Hours
Regular school attendance is important. Please ensure that your student is at school each day possible.