Dear Families,

We are thrilled to host our 4th Annual International Night this Thursday evening. To make this evening even more special, we respectfully invite each family to join us by wearing traditional attire that represents your unique cultural heritage. All families will be directed to enter through the doors leading from the staff parking lot to the specials hallway. We encourage each student to collect a "passport book" at sign-in. Students may go around to various countries and collect stickers throughout their travels. We can't wait to see you there!

*Note-we will not have various food trucks this year. However, many countries will be providing samples of delicious treats! Make sure to feed your littles accordingly, so that everyone can enjoy the evening!

Thursday, February 6th

5:30-7:00

MRE GYM/CAFETERIA/SPECIALS HALLWAY

The book fair will be here at the MRE Library February 3rd through February 6th.

• Families may also shop during International Night 5:30-7:00.
• Please note: The book fair will NOT be open on Friday, February 7th.

Families may shop online during a longer timeframe -beginning January 29 and ending February 11th. Scholastic can deliver books ordered online directly to the student’s home.

Families may choose to set up a cash-free, worry-free E-Wallet Account. Kids will be able to shop the fair using a printable bar code or staff can look up the name at the register.

E-Wallets can be set up beginning January 29th.

To learn more about how E-Wallets work, please click here.

All students have received paper copies of "Friendship Grams." What is a Friendship Gram? Students may browse the menu options and buy small goodies for friends, teachers, family members, or for themselves.

Steps for a successful order:

1.Complete the Friendship Gram form with options.

2. Complete the page and write who the treats are for. This is required so we can attach the tag to the treats for delivery.

3. Send money and forms to your child's classroom teacher-due February 7th.

4. Friendship Grams and treats will be delivered by February 14th.

Need an extra copy? Reach out to your child's teacher OR print the attachments below.

If printing additional copies at home: You must print BOTH attachments in .pdf below. They will download into pdf form, allow it to load if you are on a mobile device.

Friendship parties will take place at the end of the school day on February 14th. This is a great bonding time for our students and their teachers.

Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have questions or need additional information.

Please aim to have all Valentine's cards/treats sent with your child no later than the morning of February 14th. Young children become very upset if they feel their items won't be there in time.

It would also help keep our office running smoothly by avoiding lots of last minute deliveries to students and interrupting their day. Thank you for your cooperation!

We understand that providing cards/treats for classmates can be a financial burden...especially with multiple children!

Do not worry...we've got you covered! Please reach out to your child's teacher if you need an alternate idea. We keep extra printable valentine cards handy for students that would like to deliver little notes for friends.

The MRE PTA is planning a special family dance on Friday, March 21. The theme is "Denim and Diamonds". This will be a free, fun event with a DJ, photo booth, refreshments, and dancing.

But we can't host events like this without volunteer support. We will need at least 36 volunteers to make this dance happen.

If you can volunteer, please fill out this form by this Friday, January 31. If we don't have enough volunteers, we will have to cancel the dance, so please help us make this event happen.

Even if you volunteer, you will still be able to enjoy the dance with your child/family.

If you have any questions, contact Cheryl Glasser, VP of Events, at cheryl@mavspta.org

Howdy Helpers! Please consider donating a few hours of your time for our monthly Volunteer Workday now known as Howdy Helpers Workday. Our volunteers help our MRE teachers complete various tasks and projects. Enjoy light refreshments while meeting fellow Mav family members. Thank you for your dedication!

In accordance with Texas Education Code 28.004 and House Bill 1525, 4th and 5th grade students will receive instruction on the required health Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) specific to human growth and development.

Under Texas statute, parents must provide written consent for their 4th and 5th grade student(s) to participate in lessons that address the topics of human growth and development.

On Monday, February 3, 2025, parents/guardians of 4th and 5th grade students will receive detailed

information via email regarding viewing the associated lessons and the process for recording their

decision for their student to participate in the lessons.

Outlined below are the timeframes for the parent consent process and the scheduled instructional

periods:

Parent Opt-In Window: February 3rd – March 7th

Instruction Window: April 7th – May 22nd

In compliance with Senate Bill 2050, passed during the 87th Legislative Session, all Texas school districts are required to collect information annually through student surveys on bullying and cyberbullying. The results of these surveys help develop action plans to address student concerns.

All Katy ISD students in grades 4-12 are invited to participate in an online survey administered by K12 Insight. As a trusted provider of online surveys for school districts nationwide, K12 Insight ensures the confidentiality of participants’ responses.

Students will be asked to enter their student ID numbers to maintain data integrity. These IDs are used solely to verify participation by campus and grade level. K12 Insight does not share data that links participants to their individual responses with Katy ISD or any external parties.

Students will complete the survey in their classroom during the survey administration window, February 18- March 7. Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. If you wish to opt your child out of the survey, please log in to MyKaty and select the KISD Option Portal icon.

The deadline to opt out is February 9, 2025.

There's nothing like your school yearbook. Get your hands on the limited edition collection of our stories from the year.

Order Your 24-25 Yearbook before it's too late!

Although orders are due in a few weeks, the books will be delivered to campus at the end of the semester.

This event is specifically for families of children who will be starting kindergarten next school year.

It’s a wonderful opportunity for our future kinder students to get a feel for their new school environment, make a few friends, and begin to build excitement for their upcoming kindergarten year.

At the orientation, we’ll share important information about the kindergarten experience, school policies, and how you can support your child during this transition.

It’s also a great chance to meet our teachers and connect with the school community.

February 3

• Book Fair Opens in the MRE Library
• National School Counseling Week

February 4

Tooth Fairy Dental Visit for PK-1

February 6

• International Night at MRE from 5:30-7:00
• Book Fair Open During International Night (final opportunity to shop)

February 7

• BOOK FAIR CLOSED
• Friendship Grams Due to Homeroom Teachers
• Dental Hygiene Presentation during specials (Grades 2-5)

February 10

• School Bus Driver Appreciation Week

February 11

• 2nd Grade Field Trip to Houston Museum of Natural Science

February 14th

• Friendship Parties (students/staff)

February 17th

• Campus Professional Learning Day (No Students)

February 21

• Volunteer Work Day- 'Howdy Helpers"

February 28

• 3rd Grade Field Trip to Blessington Farms

March 4

• PTA Donuts with Grown Ups
• 3rd, 4th, 5th Math Interims

March 5

• Career Day at MRE
• Diagnostician Appreciation Day

March 6

• 2nd Grade Musical

March 7

• 5th Grade Field Trip to Shaw Center
• Volunteer Work Day- "Howdy Helpers"
• Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day

March 10-14

• Spring Break for Katy ISD-all campuses closed
• No School for Students/Staff

March 27

• Spring Picture Day-Individuals

April 4

• School Librarian Day

April 11

• Volunteer Work Day- 'Howdy Helpers"

April 18

• Holiday for Students & Staff

April 21

• Campus Professional Learning Day (No Students)

April 24th

• Kinder Roundup (Orientation for students entering Kinder for 2025-2026)

*open to all current pre-k students and future kinder students currently not enrolled in pre-k

May 5-9

• Teacher Appreciation Week

ALWAYS bring your physical driver’s license or passport with you when you come to school. We are video monitored by the Katy ISD Police Department to make sure we are checking identification for each person that enters the school to ensure the safety of your child and our staff. Therefore, we are unable to let you into the school without proper identification.

Our cafeteria doors open for breakfast at 7:30 AM. and our front entrance doors open at 7:50 AM. We’ve found that having “All Mavs in by 8:10 AM” has been a great help in making sure they are in class ready to learn prior to 8:10 AM. Please have your child ready to exit the car when you are in position to unload. Your child is encouraged to exit on his/her own, if capable. If your child is not in the building by the time the tardy bell rings (8:10 AM), he/she will be sent to the front office for a tardy slip.

If you plan to check out your child early, please do so prior to 2:30 p.m. but after 9:35 am. (This would be considered an early checkout for attendance purposes.) Our schools are funded based on many factors, one important factor being attendance. It is always in the child’s best interest to be in school a full day, but we know that is not always possible. If you need to check your child out for a doctor’s appointment, dentist, etc. towards the end of the school day, it must be done before 2:30 p.m.

Changes of Transportation can be (1) e-mailed to the front office with a copy of the parent or guardian’s driver’s license to MRECOT@katyisd.org (2) hand-written in the front office. Change of transportation requests must be received no later than 2:00 p.m. on regular days and 11:30 a.m. on early dismissal days.

Please report absences online when your child is absent on our Morton Ranch Elementary website under the Absence Reporting link. You may also call our front office on (281) 234-0300. Teachers are busy teaching our Mavericks and therefore not able to relay your phone or email message to the attendance clerk.

We understand emailing the teacher is the easiest form of communication. However, it is not acceptable for changes in transportation, reported absences, or early checkouts. You can always email the teacher a “heads up”, but please know that the teacher doesn’t always have time to check email/Dojo/voice messages before or during class.

Plan ahead for rainy/cold weather by sending jackets and umbrellas. (Please write your child’s name on all jackets and sweaters). Children who are bikers/walkers may want to keep a rain poncho in their backpacks. If your child is a biker/walker and there is a chance of bad weather, please make it easy on yourself by submitting the online change of transportation with your child, making him/her a bus or car rider.

**REMINDER** Morton Ranch Elementary does not have an alternate weather dismissal plan. It is the parent's responsibility to watch the weather forecast, decide if a change of transportation is necessary, and submit a change in a timely manner by or before 2:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please call the front office 281-234-0300.

Our school day begins promptly at 8:10 am.

Compulsory Attendance

A parent/guardian of a school-age child has the responsibility to require that his/her child attend school regularly. When sickness or another reason necessitates an absence, a note signed by the parent/guardian or phone call explaining the reason for the absence is required prior to or when the student returns to school. If a student fails to submit a note from the parent or the school does not receive a phone call from the parent, the absence will automatically be considered unexcused.

Absences for vacations, business trips, babysitting, working, and other such reasons shall be considered unexcused. Read here for more information regarding attendance in KISD.

Timely pick-up ensures that students are not left waiting and helps maintain a smooth end to the school day. The front office is reserved for emergency situations only, so please make arrangements to pick up your child on time. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and efficient dismissal process.

The vision shared by these Maverick-Educators has always been focused on three things: Strong Relationships, Authentic Experiences for Children, and a Quest for Lifelong Learning instilled within each and every Maverick. Thank you for joining us on this journey!

Website: https://www.katyisd.org/campus/MRE/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 2502 North Mason Road, Katy, TX, USA
Phone: 281-234-0330
Twitter (X): @MREMavs