Happy Holidays!

We have a few exciting events lined up this week, as well as a few upcoming opportunities to volunteer at MRE. We would love to see parents and family members volunteer their time to ensure that all of our Mavericks have a memorable December!

Thursday, December 5th:

• Winter Showcase Presented by the Performing Ensembles of MRE
• All MRE Families are invited to attend!
• 5:30 in the GYM

Saturday, December 7th:

• Cookies with Santa: hosted by our Parent Teacher Association.
• This festive event will be a delightful way to celebrate the season together, enjoy delicious treats, and create special memories.
• Please consider volunteering your time this Saturday! Sign Up Here!

December 9th-13th

• Tip Top Holiday Shop at MRE (items priced starting at twenty-five cents up to twenty dollars)
• We are looking for volunteers to help students and teachers during shopping times at the shop!

As we near the upcoming Winter Break, we kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring students arrive at school on time each day.

Our school day begins promptly at 8:10 am.

*Students should be seated and in their classrooms no later than 8:10*

We're committed to having all our students in class for the next three weeks, and we appreciate your support in maintaining strong attendance. The well-deserved holiday break is just around the corner! Consistent attendance plays a key role in fostering student growth and achievement. Thank you for your help!

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.

December 5, 2024

5:30 p.m.

Morton Ranch Elementary (GYM)

Featuring Corral and Stampede

Thank you to our fine arts teachers (and students) for their hard work!

Parents and families of emergent bilingual students will have an opportunity to attend a virtual workshop on Thursday, December 5, 2024, to learn about ReadyRosie and how to create meaningful home learning environments that assist in academic readiness. Parents will have access to the library playlist of video demonstrations with math, literacy, and social emotional learning strategies to promote continued family learning at home. Parents will be provided two opportunities to attend sessions available in English and Spanish. Reference the parent flyer for additional details.

Exciting news! Next week, our school will host the Tip Top Holiday Shop! Students will have a chance to shop for holiday gifts for family and friends, right here at school. There will be lots of fun and affordable items to choose from. Prices start at just twenty-five cents and go up to twenty dollars.

Students may begin bringing money on Monday. (More information coming soon regarding ways to purchase a gift certificate). So start thinking about your gift lists now! We can't wait to see you next week at the shop!

We are looking for volunteers that are willing to help students and teachers as they visit the holiday shop. Sign Up Here if you are interested.

More details coming soon!

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all MRE students, staff, and parents for your incredible generosity in donating socks to our drive. Together, we have collected an amazing 400+ pairs of socks, making a significant impact in our community. Your support and kindness truly embody the spirit of our school, and we appreciate each and every one of you for contributing to this wonderful cause!

We’re excited to announce that we will be meeting with Clothed By Faith this week to share our generous contribution. Your efforts have made a real difference, and we can’t wait to see the impact of our collective kindness. Stay tuned for updates on this meaningful event! Thank you for your participation and support!

Here are the top three houses in our sock collection drive:

First Place: Owls - Congratulations on leading the way!

Second Place: Rams - Great job on your collection efforts!

Third Place: Boars - You were so close to taking second—fantastic work!

Way to go, everyone! Your hard work and generosity have truly made a difference!

Saturday, December 7th

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

MRE GYM/CAFETERIA

• Free activities include: photo with Santa, cookies & milk, craft, letters to Santa, "selfie" stations, and carnival games
• For Sale ($2.00 each)- reindeer food activity
• For Sale $2.00 each) house stickers

Don't forget to follow MRE PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION on Facebook!

🍕Join us on Thursday, December 12th, at Pepperoni’s (1230 N Mason location) for our December Spirit Night! This event is ALL DAY—whether you choose to dine in or order delivery.

🍕Don’t forget to mention MRE PTA when placing your order, and 20% of the proceeds will go back to support our organization!

🍕We can’t wait to see you there and appreciate your support!

KAP Coursework is designed to challenge students with a higher level of rigor and prepare them for

the demands of high school KAP and Advanced Placement (AP courses). KAP courses not only focus on mastering content, but also on developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

KAP courses are available beginning in 6th grade in the areas of math, science, language arts, and social studies, and are open to all students. Every student is encouraged to take at least one advanced level course in an area of interest.

The district will host a KAP Awareness Webinar on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 6:30PM. This is an opportunity for parents of students in grade 5 to learn about KAP prior to course selections. Parents of students who are considering KAP courses for the first time should plan to attend.

Lessons & Checkout: Kinder & 1st, Pre-K, ECSE

Checkout Only: 3rd & 5th

Upcoming Library Events:

December - "Hour of Code" for Kinder & 1st, 2nd & 4th

Dec. 16-20 – Check out only/no lessons

As we approach the holiday season, our teachers are beginning to prepare for our annual winter parties at MRE. Each classroom will designate 45 minutes for a winter party during the school day. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions.

• Friday, December 20th is an early dismissal day for Katy ISD.
• We will follow the SAME procedures for dismissal-but will begin three hours earlier on this day.
• Dismissal will begin at the 12:20 timeframe.
• Please make arrangements to have all students picked up in a timely manner.

Any changes to transportation on December 20th should be made no later than 11:30.

December 2nd

• Students/Staff Return from Thanksgiving Break

December 5th

• MRE Performing Ensembles Present Their Winter Showcase
• Audience may enter MRE GYM @ 5:30
• Maverick families are welcome to attend!

December 6th

• Field Trip for Mavs in Performing Ensembles

December 7th

• Cookies with Santa
• Hosted by MRE PTA

December 9th

• 4th Graders Visit OLC
• Tip Top Holiday Shop Begins

December 10th

• 4th Graders Visit OLC
• Tip Top Holiday Shop Continues

December 11th

• 4th Graders Visit OLC
• Tip Top Holiday Shop Continues

December 12th

• Last Day of Tutoring for Fall Semester
• Tip Top Holiday Shop Continues
• Teams Meeting for Current 5th Graders & Families 6:30

December 13th

• Volunteer Work Day 9:00-2:00
• Final day to purchase items from the Tip Top Holiday Shop

December 20th

• School-Wide Winter Sing-a-Long (students & staff)
• Students & staff may wear pajamas to school!
• Class Winter Parties (students & staff)
• Early Dismissal for all students at 12:20 -Changes of Transportation must be made no later than 11:30!

December 23-31

• Winter Holiday (Students & Staff)

January 1-3

• Winter Holiday (Students & Staff) - Happy Holidays!

January 6th

• Campus Professional Learning Day (No School for Students)

January 7th

• First Day of Spring Semester

January 20th

• Holiday for Students & Staff

February 17th

• Campus Professional Learning Day (No Students)

Many of you have logged in to the Home Access Center (HAC) to complete your annual student update. This is an update that happens once a year and allows you to update any contact information, emergency contacts, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. Please take a moment to be sure you have completed your annual student update. Click on the link for more information: https://www.katyisd.org/Page/9582

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.

Our morning car rider line ends at 8:10 AM. If you arrive at the school after 8:10 AM, please drive to the front of the school, park, and walk your student(s) into the front office doors for parent check-in and a tardy slip.

Likewise, in the afternoon, please be on time to pick up your child. Our afternoon car rider line ends at 3:45 PM. If you arrive at the school after 3:45 PM, please drive to the front of the school, park, and walk into the front office doors for student check-out. Please bring your car rider tag and/or a form of identification with you.

The teachers and staff are off contract at 3:45; therefore, we do not have anyone to stay late for those children who are not picked up on time.

Please make sure your child’s name is on all coats, jackets, backpacks, and lunch boxes. These items will be donated at designated times throughout the school year if not picked up.

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 and e-mail mrecot@katyisd.org, making him/her a bus or car rider. Same day changes must be submitted before or by 2:00 pm.

You may choose to notify the teacher of changes of transportation.

However, you MUST notify the front office following the directions on the flyer below.

• This option is to facilitate changes in case of last minute needs.

• Children thrive on routines and systems put into place for them to follow daily.

• Creating too many changes can be confusing for any child.

• Please consider this when making changes of transportation.

**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.

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