Welcome to Van Raub! We are excited to see our Roadrunners back soon! Please take a moment to read through this newsletter as we approach the start of the 2024-2025 school year. We hope that it answers many of your questions and provides you with helpful information about Van Raub.

Also, If you have a neighbor or someone new to your neighborhood that has school-age children, PLEASE encourage them to enroll their students in our schools as soon as they can so that we can get them set up for a great start to the school year!

*As the school year starts and progresses, this newsletter will be shared each Friday afternoon. So make sure you stay tuned for information, events, and other amazing things from VRES!

We are so excited to get this school year rolling! See you all soon!

Mrs. Summer Gault, Principal

Prepare for the 2024-25 school year and visit www.boerneisd.net/backtoschool for everything you need to get ready for August 12!

Are you interested in improving your English skills or earning your GED? We've partnered with Northside ISD to offer Adult Education and Literacy classes right here in our community. Registration for the 2024-25 school year starts Saturday, July 27 at the NISD Learning Center: 6632 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78238. The classes will be held at BISD. For more information, please call the Northside Adult Education & Literacy (AEL) office, at 210-397-8109 or see the attached flyer.

Make sure you check your email on the evening of Wednesday, August 7th prior to meet the teacher on August 8th. We are planning to have teachers email their homeroom students welcoming them to their classroom for the 2024-2025 school year. These emails will probably go out sometime after 4:00pm.

7:00 am - Doors open

7:25 am - 1st bell to go to class rings

7:35 am - Tardy bell rings & CLASS BEGINS

3:00 pm - Dismissal bell rings

• In order to ensure the safety and security of all, parents will not be allowed in the building on the first day of class. You will however be able to walk your child to the front door of the school where we will have numerous staff ready to greet and assist all of our Roadrunners in getting to their destination.
• Please label all of your child's belongings with his/her name.
• Bring your child's supplies to meet the teacher night so that they can be left in the classroom.
• Have your younger children practice using their lunch box, opening their food items, and eating lunch in a 25-30 minute time frame. This really helps them build independence. We will have staff on hand to assist but the practice of these things is very helpful.
• Make sure your child knows how they will be going home and make sure to let their teacher know.

PK & KG Families -

We know that the first day of school is an exceptional time for everyone, especially for students who have never been to school. Elementary parents of our Pre-K and Kinder students can either drop off their child curbside through the drive-through beginning at 7:00 AM, or you have the opportunity to walk them to their classroom at 8:00 AM.

We want to thank the parents and guardians of students in our upper grades for understanding that we unfortunately cannot extend this opportunity to all grade levels. If you are a parent or guardian of a Pre-K or Kinder student and would like to walk your child to their classroom on the first day, please complete the guest pre-check in the form linked below.

PreK and Kinder Walk-in:

1. Complete the guest pre-check-in form for each guest.
2. Arrive at the campus before 8 AM.
3. Park your vehicle and collect your premade badge at the designated Pre-K & Kinder Pre-Check-In area (Look for signage)
4. Each adult must present a photo id to receive a badge.
5. Once you receive a badge, enter the building and walk your child to the classroom door. (We ask adult guests not to enter the classroom with the child).
6. Please take a moment to enjoy big hugs, high fives, share encouragement, and watch them walk into the room.
7. When exiting, please drop your visitor badge off at our office.

Please help us make this day a success by only walking your pre-K and Kinder child to the classroom.

**Upper-grade students should enter the building with their classmates and walk to class independently at their regular arrival time.

**All adults 16+ participating in the PreK-K walk in will need to bring their ID with them.

Hello Parents/Guardians!

We are so excited to offer you the opportunity to participate in our Guest Pre Check-In process for the upcoming campus event.

"PreK/Kinder First Day Sign-In"

August 12, 2024, 7:00 AM

Click here to begin: BISD Pre-Check-In Form

By completing the linked form, you allow us to use the information to conduct a security verification through our visitor management portal, Raptor. Once cleared, we will preprint your visitor label, which you will collect at the pre-check-in station on the day of the event. Thank you in advance for helping to keep our schools safe for our students and staff!

10:35am - 11:05am - KINDERGARTEN

10:55am - 11:25 am - PREK and 1st GRADE

11:25am - 11:55 am - 2nd GRADE

11:55am - 12:25pm - 3rd GRADE

12:25pm - 12:55pm - 4th GRADE

12:45pm- 1:15pm - 5th GRADE

A new online portal is available for the parents to use to fill out online Free & Reduced-Price Meals Applications and to add money to their students' accounts.

Register here: https://www.payschoolscentral.com/

Attention parents!!! You will need to know your students' ID numbers (Student ID) to register for the portal. These can be found in Skyward or by contacting your student's school.

Online menus can be found at: https://boerne-isd.nutrislice.com/menus-eula

Please visit our website for any other information: https://www.boerneisd.net/Page/103

Students will be divided into at least 6 color groups for CAMP (Computer, Art. Music & PE). Students will be divided by the specials teachers on the first couple of days of school.

The color grouping concept has numerous benefits:

1. It allows for specials classes to be balanced.

2. It allows students to have the opportunity to make additional friends and be with students from other classes.

3. It gives students a break from being solely with their homeroom classmates all day.

4. It allows for flexible movement between groups if an issue arises where that may be necessary.

5. Students seem to like it once they get the hang of it.

ARRIVAL

Breakfast begins in the cafeteria at 7:00 AM

Gates open for students at 7:00 AM to report to morning areas to wait for the 7:25 AM bell to be released to class.

Student Morning locations:

K,1,2 - CAFETERIA

3,4,5 - GYM

Class begins PROMPTLY at 7:35 AM

**Parents may walk their children to the entry gate to drop them off but may not enter the campus. To enter the campus for ANY REASON parents/guardians must bring a valid ID and check in through the office.

Car drop off-

1. Please DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE in the drop-off line and refrain from parking in the way of traffic.

2. For safety purposes, PLEASE have your children only exit your vehicle on the curbside of whatever traffic line you are in (inside or outside).

3. Students are to only cross at the crosswalk with our campus staff crossing guard.

**Parents may park in the parking lot and walk their children to the crosswalk at drop-off in the morning.

BUS RIDERS:

Backpack Tag Color: YELLOW

Bus riders will be escorted out to the bus loop with VRES staff members and will be loaded on the appropriate bus number for their destination. Buses are typically dismissed from VRES between 3:05 pm -3:10 pm.

***Bus riders may only ride to and from their designated stop. Students may not ride with a friend without permission from the BISD transportation department.

DAYCARE:

Backpack Tag Color: PINK

Daycare students will be escorted out by VRES staff members with the bus students to the bus loop and will be loaded onto the designated daycare transportation. Daycare van pick-up is located directly in front of the bus loading zone along the curb. Currently, VRES has the following daycares picking up:

Appletree

Children's Lighthouse

Country Home

CAR PICK UP:

Backpack Tag Color: GREEN

1. Please stay in your vehicles and travel through the pickup line. Cars line up in both lanes and cars will be loaded from both sides of the drive.

2. Please make sure to have your car tag/student dismissal card with your child's information clearly displayed.

3. If your student needs assistance buckling ask a staff member or pull into the parking lot after you are loaded. Please stay in your vehicle at all times. PLEASE DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR IN THE PICK UP LINE.

We ask that you continue to practice patience with us as we get to know your vehicles, your students and become more efficient with our procedures. Our focus is that all children are dismissed safely. Please be cautious as you travel the nearby streets and our dismissal area for pedestrians. We REALLY appreciate your patience and support!

WALKERS:

Our walkers will gather in their designated groups and will be escorted by VRES staff to the sides of the property.

BACK WALKERS:

Backpack Tag Color: ORANGE

The BACK of the school walker group will meet on the back blacktop and depart the school towards the Front Gate subdivision from the rear of the school. This group will travel past the bus loop with a staff escort and out to the end of the portables to either meet a parent or continue walking on their own. Parent written permission is required for students to walk home alone.

FRONT WALKERS:

Backpack Tag Color: PURPLE

The FRONT of the school walker group will meet in the courtyard and depart the school by the arrival/dismissal area at the front of the school. This group will be escorted to the pole at the end of the small front playground on the side of the property to be released to a parent or to continue walking on their own. Parent written permission is required for students to walk home alone.

BACK WALK-UP / CAR PICK-UP:

Backpack Tag Color: RED

The BACK of the school walk-up/pick-up group will meet on the back blacktop until the buses depart. Once all buses are released and the BACK walkers have departed. The students in this group will be escorted to the gate and will be dismissed one at a time to their parent or guardian by a VRES staff member. ** Parents must park in a parking spot and wait on the parking lot side of the bus loop until all buses clear, then may cross to receive their child. Please have ID available.

YMCA:

Backpack Tag Color: BLUE

Students enrolled in the YMCA on campus afterschool program will be escorted by a YMCA staff member or VRES staff member to the cafeteria for check in.

Bus transportation is provided to students who live more than TWO MILES from their assigned school as measured by the shortest route that may be traveled on public roads from the student’s home to school.

Bus riders are only allowed to ride to and from their designated stop. Guest riders may not ride without written permission from the BISD transportation department. Students on ISD transportation are expected to follow all rules and expectations.

1. Follow the directions of the Bus Driver.

2. Stay in your seat, no standing or moving.

3. Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.

4. No food/no drinks.

5. No object out the windows.

Failure to follow these rules and expectations can result in disciplinary action and even bus suspension.

Bus routes can be found at the link below.

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES:

We ask that you try not to change your child's transportation if at all possible. However, if you need to make a change to your child's way of dismissal, please call the front office at 830-357-4100 BEFORE 2 pm to ensure that we can get that change made for you. We may not be able to guarantee a change of transportation if done after 2:00pm.

Our nurse at VRES is Lesha Penny. She loves our Roadrunners and works hard daily to help keep us all healthy and safe!

If you have not turned in your updated immunizations to Nurse Penny, please do so as soon as possible.

Birthday treats may be brought and must be store bought with a food label including an INGREDIENT LIST. This is a BISD procedure that has been in place since 2018. Treats from bakery's also must include food labels including ingredient lists. Without the store’s ingredient label, teachers and staff cannot identify food allergens of food that is brought to share throughout the class. This is particularly important if there is a class that has been identified as an allergy awareness classroom, or for example, a classroom that should not have nuts in the classroom.

This is not an opportunity for a full-scale birthday celebration. We ask that provided treats do not require being cut and are easy to distribute since there is limited time for your student's teacher to do so. Please do not send favors or decor as we do not have the resources or time to manage that in the classroom.

All Pro Dad Chapters provide an opportunity for dads, guardians (even moms can come) to spend quality time with their children before school to strengthen their relationship. One day a month, other dads and their kids meet together and walk through different topics that invoke meaningful conversations.

Sign up to be a part of the Van Raub All Pro Dad Chapter -

LOOK FOR A REGISTRATION LINK FOR THE VAN RAUB CHAPTER SOON!

The Van Raub All Pro Dad Chapter meets the on last Friday of the month at 7:00am in the VRES Library. Here are the current dates for the 2024-2025 school year:

8/30/24

9/27/24

10/25/24

11/22/24

12/20/24

1/31/25

2/28/25

3/28/25

4/25/25

5/16/25

This year we are going to have an opportunity for Dads to be on "Duty" here at VRES. This will be an opportunity for Dads to be on campus for the day serving as extra eyes and service at arrival, lunch duties, recesses, read to classes, support in our CLAMP classes and so much more. Dads will have the opportunity to sign up for specific dates soon. Dads will also have the opportunity to purchase a Dads on Duty shirt!

We hope to have at least one Dad on Duty a week here at VRES.

LOOK FOR A SIGN UP SOON.

We love volunteers! If you would like to help on our campus in the library, the workroom, monitoring the lunch room, classrooms, or even at events. Please fill out a volunteer background check form at: https://www.boerneisd.net/VOLUNTEER

***These must be filled out annually. :)

Student involvement is very important. Here at VRES, we have several clubs and organizations that students can be a part of. AS CLUBS BEGIN WE WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION IN THE VRES WEEKLY NEWSLETTER - STAY TUNED!

Please look into joining our VRES PTO this school year! We can certainly use your help volunteering to assist with various events, and helping in places such as the work toom, library, classrooms, etc.

Website: http://boerne-isd.net/VRES
Location: Van Raub Elementary School, Dietz Elkhorn Road, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, USA
Phone: 830-357-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VanRaubES/
Twitter: @VanRaubES