The Outley Observer

It is with great excitement that I write this letter of introduction to you as

the new Principal of Outley Elementary School. I am honored to have the

opportunity to lead a school with such persevering students, an extremely

dedicated staff, and a supportive school community. I can assure you that I share

in this school community’s commitment to care for our children each and every

day while ensuring they receive a high quality education. I feel very fortunate to be

an integral part of this school and to support the community, students and

families.

I have been dedicated to educating our Alief students for 13 years. Most

recently, I have served as one of the Assistant Principals at Chancellor Elementary.

I am thrilled to bring my skills as an educational leader to Outley and to work with

you as a partner in education to ensure all children's success.

As building Principal, I bring with me my core values of integrity, dedication

and achievement. I will meet the needs of my campus by building meaningful

relationships with staff, students and all stakeholders. I am committed to a shared

vison of high achievement for all students by exploring new ways to meet their

needs and to effectively communicate this vision with parents and community

members.

I view education as a life-long learning process and I expect to learn more

about the uniqueness of Outley this year and in the years to come. I am excited to

unite my experience, my openness to learn, and my child-centered approach to

support our students. Because the relationships between communities, families

and the school are vital to the success of our students, I encourage everyone to

become involved in every way possible.

This year is going to be amazing as we continue to provide academic

experiences for our students that are rigorous and relevant while developing the

whole child.

Sincerely,

Tierra Archie, Principal

August 28th- First Grade Math CBA

September 2nd- NO SCHOOL- Labor Day

September 4th- 3rd/4th Math CBA

September 6th- Kinder Math CBA

August 31- Ms. Ugwu

September 4th- Ms. K. Kelly

September 10th- Ms. Malaret

September 29th- Ms. Osuji

September 30th- Ms. Etuk

Parents may bring birthday cupcakes for the class to celebrate the birthday child. Cupcakes can be brought to school by the student or left at the front office. Please adhere to the following:

-Items must come from an “approved” source (bakery or grocery store) that is inspected by the Health Department and brought in the original box in which purchased.

-To protect our students, items prepared in a private home cannot be brought to share with students.

-The classroom teacher will set aside 10-15 min at the end of the day for students to enjoy. If the teacher prefers, class may also go outside to enjoy.

Alief ISD announced its policy for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the attached current income eligibility guidelines.

Starting August 01, 2024, Alief ISD will begin distributing letters to the households of the children in the district about eligibility benefits and any actions households need to take to apply for these benefits. Families are encouraged to complete the Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals, also available at www.SchoolCafe.com for fastest processing, or return the completed paper Meal Application to Alief ISD Nutrition-Federal Meals Office, 12400 High Star, Building T-248 Houston, TX 77072, 281-988- 3388

Students who arrive after 7:55 will have to be signed in by an adult in the front office

Things to remember about attendance procedures at our school:

1. School starts at 7:55 a.m.—students who are not in class at this time are considered tardy. Students who are 30 or more minutes tardy, will be considered as a “POD30”, which is a part-of-day attendance violation.

2. Breakfast closes at 7:55

3. Dismissal is at 3:20 p.m.—students may not be released after 2:35 p.m. because dismissal procedures will have already started.

4. Students who are picked up before dismissal time will be considered as an “early leave”, which is a part-of-day attendance violation.

5. Excuse notes for absences must be returned no later than 3 days after returning to school.

6. Only 10 parent excuse notes will be allowed per year, without extenuating circumstances.

7. Only 10 doctor/clinic/nurse excuse notes will be allowed per year, without a medical need documented by your doctor and verified by the school nurse.

Parents, this year we are continuing our implementation of the Outley House System. Above is information about what each House represents and the house colors. They will come home excited, and we want you to get excited too!

Students can earn points for their house by being caught following our campus expectations. At the end of the year, the House with the most points wins the House Championship - and all of the honor and glory that comes with it!

Tops: Any solid color polo style shirt (must have collar and sleeves)

Bottoms: Navy or khaki (shorts, slacks, skorts and jumpers are all acceptable)

Shoes: Closed toe shoes ONLY!- No Sandals, No CROCS

SPIRIT SHIRTS CAN BE WORN WITH JEANS ON TUESDAYS.

COLLEGE OR SPIRIT SHIRTS CAN BE WORN WITH JEANS ON FRIDAYS.

$15.00 PER SPIRIT SHIRT

Parents,

Please make sure that BUS RIDER students wear their Outley ID/SMART tag EVERYDAY. This is a mandatory district expectation for ALL bus riders. Please see the Alief Website for more information: https://www.aliefisd.net/Page/10318

We want to reiterate that students are not allowed to eat on the school bus. Thanks for your assistance.

Kinder students are required to wear the appropriate Red or Green TAG at all times for the safe transport to and from school. This will ensure a positive riding experience for all kindergarten students and will mitigate delays and or confusion surrounding transportation services. During afternoon transportation services, Green Tag Kinder students may unload the bus with no restrictions.

Red Tag Kinder Students will not be allowed to exit the bus without a parent and or guardian present at the bus stop. The parent and or guardian must show a current Alief ISD placard to the driver. The driver will then release the Kinder student to the parent and or guardian. If the parent and or guardian does not have the placard with them, the driver will return the student back to the elementary campus.

Click this link to get to the Alief ISD Transportation page: https://www.aliefisd.net/Page/6257

All cell phones should be off and in a student's backpack during the school day. Please review the information from the board policy below.

According to Alief ISD Board Policy, Electronic Communication and Entertainment Devices (ECED) are to be turned off and concealed once the student arrives on campus each day. The Student Code of Conduct Handbook states:

• the use of ECEDs is strictly prohibited during instructional hours, which is defined as the period of time from arrival on campus through dismissal;

• students may possess ECED(s) on AISD property and sponsored activities; however, it is the students’ responsibility to ensure that the ECED is turned off and out of sight during times of unauthorized use;

• students must not turn on or use the ECED until the end of the official instructional day; • and, that the use of ECED(s) in a manner that is obscene, illegal, profane, threatening or in a fashion which violates another person’s privacy is prohibited.

• ECEDs include, but are not limited to: cell phones, Gameboys, PSP, DS, DSi, CD players, MP3 players, IPods, IPhones, etc. Failure to comply with this policy will result in the ECED being confiscated from the student and turned in to the office.

• Confiscated items can be retrieved by parents or guardians on Tuesdays or Thursdays by presenting current photo identification and paying a $15.00 cash administrative fee each time a device is confiscated.

• While reasonable care will be given to safeguard all items confiscated, AISD will not assume responsibility or liability for loss, damage, theft or any unauthorized use of a confiscated ECED. A global warning is in effect and shall be considered sufficient as a first warning.

• Retrieved ECED property will be stored no longer than one calendar year plus one semester after the devise is confiscated.

Click the link for further information.

Bus safety and responsible behavior is a priority at Outley Elementary. This year we have decided to move forward with a bus incentive program to reinforce those behaviors.

• Each morning when the buses pull up to the school, we will be asking the driver to give a thumbs up or thumbs down rating for student behavior for the morning and the previous afternoon, which a monitor will record to collect for a weekly tallied amount.
• The winning bus will be spotlighted on the Monday morning announcements.
• All buses that were spotlighted will be entered in for a pizza party drawing at the end of the quarter!

Parents please review the bus rules with bus riders:

• Sit flat and stay in your seat.

• Talk quietly.

• Keep hands and feet to yourself.

• No eating, drinking, or gum chewing.

• The bus driver may assign seats, if needed.

Outley Admin Support team includes: TBA (Family Liaison), Deborah Nichols (CIS), and Melissa Chin (Counselor)

The Family Liaison runs the Family Center, where they teach classes to adults and 3 year olds, as well as helps keep track of parent visits at the school which impacts funding (make sure you sign in).

The CIS (Communities In Schools) Student Support Manager has a plethora of valuable information and resources. She helps find our parents and students outside help and services when needed.

The Counselor is here for parents, students, and the staff. She is here to help find resources, counsel students, listen, and help you as well.

When you need something, don’t be afraid to call, email, or schedule a conference, we are here for you.

Students will be dismissed at 3:20 pm. All car riders will be picked up in the front drive. Parents must have the car rider dismissal tag displayed at all times. Students will not be released without the proper dismissal tag. Parents needing a new tag or an additional tag may pick it up in the front office. During dismissal time parents must park their car and proceed to the front office with proper ID to receive a new tag and then their child will be released.

Please do not block driveways, mailboxes and access to the parking lot at the community park for the neighborhood residents. We are working to make car rider pick-up as efficient as possible.

The items below are not allowed at school. Classroom teachers have repeatedly reported that they are a distraction to the learning environment. If students are discovered with the items at school, they will be taken and returned to the parents.

We are excited to share that Outley Elementary and Alief ISD is continuing our implementation of a Mathematics program called i-Ready.

i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.

Please click the link below for more information:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VL1r-Dr7_aKeqLOpYdvNbaNR_19qLu6L/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107026481463918608862&rtpof=true&sd=true

In School, ON TIME, All Day, Every Day!

Tardy/late slips are written for all students entering the building after 7:55; at this time parents must come into the school and sign in their students. The tardy/late bell schedule is outlined below.

7:40 = first bell (Students are released to class)

7:45= Announcements & Morning warm-ups

7:55 = tardy bell (Teachers are beginning instruction)

7:56-8:05 = (Tardy/late slips written)

There is NO PICKUP between 2:35 and 3:40.

Please click the link below for more information about attendance:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uz2NWHzuaYGn0XONy3z43bOynrw41cwbn34MYEGCdVk/edit?usp=sharing

Breakfast is served from 7:20 - 7:50. Please make sure your child is here no later than 7:45.

Please click on this link to create an account and apply for free and reduced lunch.

https://www.schoolcafe.com/

Typically, a student’s household must meet income eligibility requirements to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued guidance that allows schools to offer meals to all students at no cost for the 2023-2024 school year.

Please note that if you received a notification letter that a child is directly certified for free or reduced-price meals, do not complete an application.

Having lunches delivered to the school by someone who does not know the student is causing a major challenge in the front office. Meals are being delivered without information and either too early or late. Effective tomorrow, January 10, we will no longer accept student lunches being delivered by a delivery company. Thank you for assistance in this matter.

All students should bring their own water bottle to school. We have them on sale for $6.00. If you would like it to be personalized, it is $8.00.

Click this link for Outley Swag (water bottles, shirts, lanyards, hair ties or zipper pulls):

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dC7l1AAYEppeS3n4IMipfaFkbGgJIo2H/edit

https://www.aliefisd.net/domain/6849

Email: contact@aliefisd.net
Website: https://www.aliefisd.net/Outley
Location: 12355 Richmond Avenue, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: (281) 584-0655
Facebook: www.facebook.com/outleyeagles
Twitter: @OutleyE