Buckalew Buzz

Buckalew Bears Motto:

"Today I choose to BE Kind, Work Hard, and Do My BEst!"

Our school hours are officially 8:00-3:10. Students may arrive as early as 7:30.

Email: contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Website: https://buckalew.conroeisd.net/
Location: 4909 Alden Bridge Dr, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 2814653400
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckalewCISD/

Instagram: @buckalewbears
Twitter: @buckalewbears

Buckalew Families,

The countdown has arrived! Only 2 1/2 more days with your beautiful children and then we are onto summer! I want to thank all of you for your incredible support of your child's education. Every decision we make is centered around making growth and progress for each and every child. I want to thank all of you for your incredible support of our teachers and staff. We have an extremely high retention rate of our employees because of YOU and the love you provide to our campus staff. In a time when teacher shortages and low teacher retention/morale are REAL, Buckalew is so very blessed to have the best of the best because of our amazing community.

Please note that early dismissal time for our last school day, Thursday May 23, has changed to 12:40 (not 12:10 or 12:50). We will have a regular dismissal on this 1/2 day. Students will have time for lunch should you pack a lunch, or they can purchase a lunch. Students will eat in their classrooms due to the cafeteria being set up for our programs. Students will go home their normal way at 12:40 if not checked out prior by a parent after KG or 4th grade programs.

For Kindergarten and 4th Grade Parents: Please note that kindergarten will begin performing at 8:30. Doors will open at 8:15, or after all of our students are in their classrooms. The 4th grade ceremony begins at 10am, and it is a quick turnaround. We anticipate opening our doors by 9:45 for 4th grade. Please anticipate parking at Lakeside Park and along Alden Bridge. Please make sure you have RSVP'd with the link provided by your homeroom teachers in KG and 4th. Please bring your ID. We will have pre-printed badges for those who have RSVP'd and been in the building before, but all visitors need their ID. If a visitor has not been in the building before, they will need to plan to stand in line and scan their id to receive a badge. If you plan on taking your child home, please plan on checking them out from the homeroom teacher after being dismissed from the programs.

Below is information on ordering your PTO supply pack with a deadline of June 23rd. By ordering through PTO, it is a one stop shop to have the convenience of having supplies delivered straight to school and to your child's homeroom ready to go by Meet the Teacher August 12.

Buckalew PTO Spirit Shirt Order Information is coming soon! We will send this out as soon as it is ready to order!

I want to give a big shout out to our PTO's Executive Board. Without the hard work and volunteerism of this executive board, our school could not do what we do! Thank you to President, Elizabeth Kutka; VP of Fundraising, Catherine Boeger; VP Communications, Felisha Hennessey; VP Parent Involvement, Sarah Bartnick; Treasurer, Carrie Foster; Parliamentarian Brooke Roberts; and Secretary Jainelle Kemp. Your time, dedication, and commitment to our school are so appreciated and your successors have big shoes to fill.

Last, as part of the CISD Bond 2023 Package C, Buckalew is one of 16 elementary campuses receiving a gym addition! Buckalew is the first to receive this gym with a project deadline for the new gym to open August 2025. This summer, you may see a lot of construction beginning to take place. Feel free to share with the neighbors, it is for a gym coming to Buckalew. We won't have to share between a cafeteria and a gym after the 24-25 school year. This is so exciting!!!

We cherish your children and hope you have a wonderful summer building memories together!!

Thank you for sharing your children with us!

Mrs. Price

Order through our PTO for the one stop shop! No need to run around and find all of the supplies. Order by June 23, and the package of supplies will arrive in your child's homeroom class before Meet the Teacher!

Conroe ISD will be offering families the opportunity to register their new students for enrollment in the 2024-25 school year every Tuesday and Thursday in June at two locations. Registration will be held at Milam Elementary and the Jett Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates:

• June 4 & 6
• June 11 & 13
• June 18 & 20
• June 25 & 27

Many parents ask what can they do to maintain or build skills over the summer.

Our answer is READ! Read books together, encourage independent reading at home, visit the public library.

Dreambox will also be available over the summer to work on Math Skills. Your children should be able to share how to get to Dreambox, but they will access it through their SSO.

Child Nutrition Job Fairs

We are hiring cafeteria workers this summer to begin working in August.

Thursday, June 20th – 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the CISD Operations Center

Tuesday, June 25th – 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Grand Oaks High School

Transportation Hiring Event

• On May 23, 2024, CISD Transportation will host a Job Fair/Hiring Event at the JETT Center, commencing at 9:30 a.m.

Please click link for the Job Fair Flyer.

**Please pay close attention to homeroom teacher newsletters for class-specific events.**

May

Last Week of School Buy One, Get One Bookfair (see below for details)

21 - Kindergarten Yearbook signing

21 - Kona Ice after school at Lakeside Park

22 - Grades 1-4 Yearbook signing

23 - Early Dismissal 12:40

23- Kindergarten Program, 8:30

23- 4th Grade Graduation, 10am

June

23- Deadline to order School Supply Packs

August 2024

12- Meet the Teacher

14 - First Day of School

Buckalew's attendance call-out will be changing from a 7:30pm notification to 10:45am. This information is designed to notify parents of absences earlier than later. As we move to the new time, please know that you may have already called in and excused the absence or checked your child in the front office after 9am. If you know you've notified the school of the absence, or were a late arrival, and you receive this call, please know that our attendance office will be reconciling the absence(s). While we adjust to this new call-out, please know you can always check and verify your child's absences and tardies (and grades) by going to Parent Access Center.

Report Card for Grades K - 1:

Your child’s 4th marking period report cards will be mailed out on Friday May 31st, please make sure we have the student's current address on file.

Report Card for Grades 2 - 4:

Your child’s 4th marking period report may be viewed in Parent Access on Tuesday, May 28th . Paper copies of the report cards will be mailed out, please make sure we have the student's current address on file.

In the event you are moving please notify me via email to lpvasquez@conroeisd.net. Please include the student's full name and homeroom teacher so his/her information can be updated.

If you have not signed up for a Parent Access account, please visit the Buckalew home page and click on Parent Access tab at the top of the page. Then click on ‘Register’ in the blue box at the bottom of the page. If you have any problems, you may call or email our Technology Help Desk. 936-709-7658, help@conroeisd.net

Conroe ISD is offering summer programs for enrichment and remediation. The following programs are being offered:

Kids Quest Academics: Grades K-3

Kids Quest Academics: Grades 4-6

Fine Arts (Art and Choir): Grades 4-6

Robotics: Grades 3-6

For more information about CISD summer programs, visit the following district link:

https://www.conroeisd.net/department/tl/summer-school/

You may contact Mrs. Smith at tonsmith@conroeisd.net if you have any questions about summer programs offered by CISD.

If your student has medication in the clinic, you will be receiving a letter notifying you of medication pickup.

1. All medication will need to be picked up by an adult. Students are unable to carry medications home.

2. All medication must be picked up by May 23rd.

3. No medication can be left at school over the summer.

4. Any medication not picked up will be thrown away and properly disposed of according to CISD policy.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for your help!!!

Alison Whiddon RN

CISD ILLNESS POLICY:

If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher, he or she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. In addition, students with diarrhea or vomiting must stay home until he/she is diarrhea and vomiting free without diarrhea or vomiting-suppressing medications for at least 24 hours.

Let's keep our Buckalew Bears Healthy!

Nurse Alison

Infrastructure

• Critical infrastructure like chillers, boilers, air handlers, generator, freezer/cooler, roof sections, & electrical service equipment

Safety & Technology Infrastructure

• All campuses will receive safety & technology infrastructure updates
  

Technology Devices

• All campuses will receive updates to their technology devices.
• 98 Chromebooks were exchanged that had a specific operating system 4/8/24

Elementary Gym

• beginning summer of 2024
• proposed date to be complete: August 2025!

• land survey completed December 2023
• perimeter fencing completed February 2024
• impact resistant film installed on all exterior glass January 2024

Our Kindergarteners will be celebrating finishing their first year at Buckalew with a music program on the last day of school. Please sign up on the following form if you plan to attend so we can get your badge printed ahead of time. Otherwise you will have to wait in the front office to sign in. If you have never been on campus before or will be using your passport as an ID, we cannot preprint your badge.

Please see the handout that was sent home from Mrs. Ramirez for all other information regarding what to wear and times!

Can’t wait to see you there!

Musically yours,

Mrs. Ramirez

All library books were due May 8th. Books that remain with the student will be added to School Cash Online so that we can purchase a replacement. Your prompt payment is appreciated.

BOGO Book fair is the last week of school. This is a good opportunity to grab some books for summer reading

Conroe ISD Library Services has enabled daily email notifications so you are informed of the items checked out by your student. Notifications for these daily messages can be managed in Parent Access Center (PAC). Please see instructions below to either enable or disable emails.

Welcome to the Counselor's Corner! I am Mrs. Points, your school counselor. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at kpoints@conroeisd.net. I look forward to working with your family. 😊

I am self-aware.

I can manage myself.

I am aware of others.

I can build relationships with others.

I can make responsible decisions.

May Citizenship

The Buckalew PTO had another successful year of fundraising. With the funds raised, we have been able to pay for items including field trips, teacher luncheons, and books for the PTO vending machine. In addition, we were able to fundraise above and beyond our goals, allowing us to purchase water bottle fillers, solar eclipse glasses, extra school supplies, Chrome Books, and the Watch D.O.G.S. Program.

In our May 10 meeting, we approved the purchase of 5 additional classroom projectors and over $10,000 of funding for the purpose of reimbursing teachers for classroom and grade level needs.

Thank you to all of the parents who have volunteered, served on committees, and donated to the PTO through the year. We cannot support Buckalew without you! We would also like to announce the newly elected 2024-2025 PTO Executive Board. 2024-2025 Executive Board President: Brooke Roberts VP Fundraising: Chelsey Martin VP Communications: Felisha Hennessey VP Parent Involvement: Christine Schaible Treasurer: Carrie Foster Treasurer: Rachel Simpson Secretary: Jainelle Kemp Parliamentarian: Anna Russell Thank you for all of your support and have a great summer!

With much appreciation,

The 2023-2024 Buckalew PTO Executive Board

President: Elizabeth Kutka VP Fundraising: Catherine Boeger VP Communications: Felisha Hennessey VP Parent Involvement: Sarah Bartnick Treasurer: Carrie Foster Secretary: Jainelle Kemp Parliamentarian: Brooke Roberts

Last spirit event will be Kona Ice on Tuesday, May 21st immediately after school at lakeside Park. Join us!

Please consider joining the Buckalew PTO! Memberships and yard signs are currently available for purchase on the Buckalew Spirit store at https://buckalewbearspto.com.

Hey, Buckalew families! Welcome back! There’s a super easy way to help our school earn money with our everyday spending. Kroger Rewards and Boxtops! It takes about 30 seconds and will donate directly to our school. Just download the Kroger app and the Boxtops app to start donating! Cheers to a great year ahead!

If you are interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities, please email BuckalewPTOVolunteers@gmail.com and let us know that you would like to be included on our volunteer list. You can also sign up using the QR code below.

Please follow the directions above to purchase your yearbook here: www.treering.com/validate and enter our school’s passcode: 1016910708713746 Please direct any and all questions to Kristen Stocker or Kate Herring at buckalewyearbook2023@gmail.com

The purpose of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is to:

(a) Promote the welfare of children at Buckalew

(b) To foster cooperation between parents and teachers in the education of children at Buckalew

(c) To unite school and community efforts in securing the best education for all children

(d) To engage in fundraising activities for the educational and recreational benefit of Buckalew, its children, teachers, and staff as determined by the PTO and in accordance with the PTO by-laws.

We ask EVERY PERSON entering Buckalew to be approved as a CISD volunteer. This is for the safety of all students, as a background check is carried out.

Click the button below to complete the form. You will need your drivers license number;

Please bring your ID with you each and every time you come to Buckalew. This is a safety layer that we check in all visitors.

In the event you are moving or have recently moved, please email your new proof of residency document (i.e. a recent gas, water or electric bill / or your signed and dated lease or sales agreement) to lpvasquez@conroeisd.net. Please include the student's full name and homeroom teacher so his/her information can be updated.

At the October 17, 2023 CISD School Board Meeting, the trustees approved the PreK-6th Grade Cellphone and Smartwatch policy. The policy approved states:

● Cell phones and smartwatches may be used respectfully and responsibly before school and after school.

● Cell phones and smartwatches should not be used to capture video, audio, or images at school or on the bus.

● Cell phones and smartwatches should be set on silent mode and kept in backpacks, lockers, or other designated storage areas and should not be visible during school hours including instructional time, reward time, free time, lunch, and in the hallways.

● Use of cell phones and smartwatches may be permitted in extenuating circumstances with permission from a staff member. (ex. to notify parent/ guardian of a late bus)

Currently Buckalew's Student Addendum states the following on Student Electronic Devices.

If a student brings an electronic device (cell phone, e-reader, smart watch, etc.) they bring them at their own risk. The school is not responsible for any damage, lost, or stolen electronic devices. The expectation is that electronic devices are powered off when students enter the building and stored in a backpack until they exit the building. Any communication between parent and student during the school day must go through the office or teacher.

Teachers will communicate with parents if there are times that personal electronic devices will be allowed to be used during classroom activities. Expectations for use will be communicated to students, and students will be monitored to ensure the devices are being used properly.

Students who do not comply with school procedures will have the device given to the assistant principal, who will contact the parent to discuss the concern and plans moving forward, and schedule a time for the device to be picked up. Please see CISD Student Handbook for further information on electronic devices.

Cookies are preferred birthday treats and must be store bought due to allergy, safety and sanitation concerns. Treats are served in the cafeteria during the students' lunch time and should be brought to school before 11am. No balloons, candles or deliveries.

Please email your homeroom teacher to check if there are any specific classroom allergies at least 1 school day beforehand.

Parents will need to register for Parent Access Center (PAC) account if their student(s) are new to Conroe ISD. Students previously enrolled in CISD will have an active PAC account. You can view your childs grades and other important information regularly. Instruction son how to register are below.

If you have difficulty accessing the PAC, please call CISD head office on 936 709 7752 or email helpdesk@conroeisd.net.

Students arriving after 8am are considered tardy. An adult must accompany the student into the Front Office to sign them in. Please do not leave the student to come into the building by themselves. This is a safety issue.

Students are considered absent if they arrive at school after 9am unless they have a note from a health care professional for an appointment on that day.

As we continue to monitor safety practices on campus regularly, we would like to ask for your assistance in this practice. On a daily basis, through Active Start in the mornings, recess during the day, and even during PE when outside, we have adults approaching our students through the fence line of Lakeside Park. We kindly ask that you refrain from engaging your child or other children through outside parameters of our gates and doors. It becomes confusing for students to know who they should or should not talk to from the fence line. It becomes difficult for staff monitoring to differentiate who are parents or strangers engaging the students as well. We kindly ask that after you drop your child off and say goodbye, that you do not interact with the students from the fence areas. We thank you for your assistance in reinforcing student safety, as it is a public park with a lot of traffic throughout the day.

Do you need to report an early release, an absence from school, or a transportation change? Print and fill out our Note to the Front Office found on our website. Click the green button labeled Note to the Front Office:-

CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED TO OUR WEBSITE

When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (281-465-3410) or email buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net to explain the reason for their absence. To ensure the accuracy of your child's attendance records, please call, or email each day your child is absent.

Please remember that attendance is recorded at 9:00 a.m. each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 a.m. due to a doctor’s appointment, he/she will be counted present if you bring your child back to school on the same day with a doctor's statement that verifies the appointment.

If your child will be out for an extended period, please let us know.

School hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. and students will be counted tardy if they are not in their classroom at that time.

State law requires that children miss no more than 10% (18 days) of the school year. Students that miss more than 18 days are subject to not be promoted to next grade level. The law goes on to state that it is the parent/guardian’s duty to monitor the student’s attendance and requires the student to attend school. It is important for students to remain in school until the close of each school day at 3:10 p.m. unless illness has caused a child to leave earlier.

Tardies

Instruction begins at 8:00 a.m. each day. Students that arrive at school between 8:01 a.m. and 8:59 a.m. are tardy.

Absences

State attendance is taken each day at 9:00 a.m. Students arriving after 9:00 a.m. will be marked absent for the day unless they have a signed note from a healthcare professional for an appointment that morning.

If your child is going to be absent, please contact the school attendance line at 281-465-3410 or send an email to buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net. Please state your child’s full name, grade, homeroom teacher, date or dates of absence, and reason for the absence.

Medical Appointment

If your child is arriving late or returning to school due to a medical appointment, please provide a health care provider’s note upon entering the school to ensure your student is not marked tardy or absent for the day. If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please do so no later than 2:30 p.m. The student will not be called from their classroom until you arrive at the school. Please plan accordingly.

We strive to dismiss all our students safely from our building. Please do not come to the Front Office at dismissal time to call your child from class. We cannot dismiss students directly from the classroom or in the hallway at dismissal time. Students will not be released after 2:30 p.m. from the Front Office.

If you are checking out your child prior to 2:30pm, please come into the Front Office and provide your identification. We will then call your child to meet you in the Front Office. Due to safety reasons, we cannot call your child to the Front Office unless you are here.

If you are checking your child out during specials or lunchtimes, please note that it may take a little longer to locate your child from their specials or lunch room and for us and them to get their back packs from their room. Please leave ample time for this if you have any appointments to attend.

We have an abundance of children and families who bike or walk to and from school. Many of your family members include your pets, joining you on your bike or walk to and from school. For your liability, and the safety of others, please refrain from bringing your dogs into the biker walker area beyond the posted signage. We have 2 signs in this area posted that should allow room for your dog, however, will prevent them from being in our most congested areas during arrival and dismissal. We have many children afraid of dogs, even though your dog may be friendly and well-mannered. We have also had dogs get into altercations with other dogs in front of this area and we kindly ask that if you choose to bring your dog, that they stay beyond the posted signs as you watch your child enter or exit our doors.

Thank you for your understanding.

If you have lost or need a new car rider sign, please email the following email address with your child(rens) full name, home room teacher and grade, we will send 2 copies home with your child:-

buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net

Active Start is a before school "free play" for students arriving at school from 7:30-7:45. Weather-permitting, students go to the k-2 playground prior to the start of school. Students arriving after 7:45 will go straight to homerooms.

Breakfast is served in our cafeteria from 7:30-7:55 daily. See below for menu. See fees below for both breakfast and lunch.

If anyone other than a parent/ guardian checking out a student from our campus, we will need a note, sent in with your child, in their backpack on that day or an email to buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net. If we do not have a note from a parent/guardian, the Front Office will call to get permission for your child to leave our campus.

The Emergency Card completed at the beginning of the school year is for us to be able to contact someone in a situation where we cannot get hold of a parent/guardian. It is not permission for those emergency contacts to check out a child, any time.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to keep our students safe whilst on our campus.

ALL Parents should have received 2 CAR RIDER/Dismissal Signs at Meet the teacher. These are used for safety precautions when we are dismissing more than 700 students. We thank you for keeping 1 sign in each car.

For KG ONLY: We are requiring Kindergarten parents only at Biker Walker to carry this sign with them to pick up their child at the biker walker doors. With our growing enrollment and various staff members on duty, it adds an extra layer to make sure we are connecting the correct kindergarten student with their care giver.

Take a photo of the sign? We have had several people ask if they can use a photo of this Dismissal Sign on their phone. The answer is YES! Feel free to take a picture to keep on your phone in case of transportation changes or loss of the sign, or emergency instances with severe weather. Please know that the original sign is IDEAL, as it is designed for those calling dismissal to be able to read. On a cell phone, that will slow down the line.

1. Bus rider (eligible if home is 1 mile or further from school) Bus routes are posted online on and you can check the link below in "what bus do I ride". You can also register your child for the bus by clicking the link below in the Buzz. You can also register for CISD SMART TAG

2. Car Rider Signs. The car rider line will be at the rear of the school and the bus line will be at the front of the school. ALL Parents should have received TWO car rider signs (yellow) at Meet the Teacher night. Please display the car rider sign in your front passenger window so our staff can read your card. See below to help you navigate our car rider line if you are new.

3. Day Care. Day care vehicles drop off and pick up students in the front of the school with the buses. If your child will not be riding the day care bus due to an early pick-up or transportation change, please notify the day care so they know your child will not be riding that day.

4. Biker/Walker. Kindergarten students must have a parent/guardian/designated adult present with the car rider sign at the Biker Walker doors (under the patio) at dismissal in order to walk or bike home. All other Biker Walkers will exit the school near the bike racks. All other biker/walkers are released at dismissal to ride or walk home independently.

On severe weather dismissal days, students will not walk or bike ride home. If your child is a biker/walker as your primary mode, then you will be a car rider on severe weather days. There is no rainy day dismissal.

We offer parents the courtesy of a drop table to deliver forgotten items, which is located in our Front Office. There are pens, paper and tape available for you to use to clearly identify items for your child to pick up. We will call the classrooms at 10am to inform all students of items on the drop table.

Please make sure lunches and birthday cookies are clearly labeled and brought into our school before 11:15am so that we can send them to the cafeteria on our lunch cart, for the allotted lunch times. We have limited staff available after this time.

We thank you for understanding.

To make transportation changes, please send a note in your child's backpack to the teacher OR email: buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net prior to 2pm with your childs full name, grade and homeroom teacher. Any changes submitted after 2pm will not be seen until the following school day.

Alternatively, please print the form to the Front Office below:-

We are working with our students on understanding the lunch-buying process. It can be quite confusing for our elementary students. We are currently speaking with our students and explaining to them, if they bring a lunch, they should eat their lunch before going through the line and purchasing an additional lunch. As we try and navigate each student through the lunch line, every child has a different need, and we never want to deny students from going through the lunch line. We encourage you to communicate with your child your expectations in either: eating the lunch you are providing/packing; buying extra lunch only and going through the line one time; or explaining that if they go through the line a second time, their account is charged again. We also encourage you to check your child's account, by going to the link below and you can check and monitor your child's purchase history, and if necessary put a limit on the account by contacting our cafeteria directly.

Breakfast

Student Breakfast $2.00

Student Reduced Breakfast $.0

Non-Student Breakfast/ 2nd Student Breakfast $3.30

Lunch

Student Lunch $3.20

Student Reduced Lunch $.40

Non-student Lunch/ 2nd Student Lunch $4.60

Entree $3.00

Milk $1.15

Fruit/ Vegetable/ Grain $1.75

A La Carte

• Extra entrees, extra sides, chips, cookies, etc. are all charged a la carte prices and are not included in the meal.
• For example, if a student gets a meal of chicken smackers, mashed potatoes, and milk, but wants an extra portion of chicken smackers, the extra portion is not considered a part of the meal and will be charged an additional $3.00.
• If a parent wishes to restrict a la carte purchases, please contact the Child Nutrition Office.

You may prepay by using My School Bucks. You will find a link to this service, lunch menus, and other helpful information by clicking on the child nutrition resource button below. If you would like to put a cap on your child's spending on your lunch account, then please notify our cafeteria manager by calling 281-465-3467.

Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker.

A friendly reminder to please label all of your child's belongings with first name and last initial or last name. **Water bottles, lunch boxes, hats, and especially outerwear such as hoodies/jackets/sweaters are all great things to label as these items tend to pile up quickly in the Lost and Found, which is located right outside of the gym. We really hope to reunite these lost items with their owners before the break!

If you have any additional questions, please contact gabinkwon84@gmail.com

PDF to help you navigate Buckalew-specific dates, procedures, and information. Please note that all information in the attached handbook is subject to change due to state and local policy updates.