Tobias Traveler

December 9-15

Our Mission

The mission of Tobias Elementary School, a dedicated partnership of students, teachers, and parents, who find inspiration in our differences, is to ensure that every individual is an empowered problem-solver and passionate learner, by creating collaborative experiences that prepare students to be successful in a changing world.

Important Dates

12/2-12/13 Middle of Year Math and Reading Screeners/Assessments (MAP and mCLASS)

12/9-12/19 Tobias Holiday Dress Up Days

12/12 Last day to donate for Student Council Blue Santa Toy Drive

12/11 PTA Cookie Swap (see below for info on how you can help make the Holidays Sweeter for staff)

12/17 Hot Cocoa Party for Students (PTA)

12/18 PreK Winter Holiday Program

12/19 Kinder Winter Holiday Program

12/19 Final Day before break and class Holiday Parties

12/20-1/6 Winter Break (No School)

Message from Principal English

Let's Make it a December to Remember

Dear Tobias Families,

It is a wonderfully busy time of year. Please check out the links below to see how you can help make this Holiday Season even brighter for our amazing staff, students, and community. Thank you for your continued support.

🎅 Student Council Blue Santa Donations: drop off any unwrapped new toy or bike to our box in the front office. Donations delivered to our Kyle PD Blue Santa toy drive for students in our community.

🍪 PTA Cookie Swap for Staff: 12/11 PTA is hosting a cookie swap for all staff. Please click here to sign up HERE to bring cookies (homemade or store bought) for our staff to enjoy. Thanks in advance for making our holidays just a little sweeter

🎵 Send a Holiday Serenade to your favorite staff member or classroom: Click HERE to join PTA or sponsor a student and PTA Holiday Singers will serenade a classroom or staff member with a special Holiday song and dance.

☕️ PTA Hot Cocoa Party for Students 12/17: click HERE to sign up to help our students enjoy a hot cocoa treat thanks to our fabulous PTA

🎁 Treat your Teachers: Click HERE to see a list of staff favorites. A small note, Holiday card, or sweet treat is a great way to celebrate your students' teacher or special staff member this Holiday Season.

Warm regards,

Melissa English

Tobias Principal

Upcoming Events

Attendances Add Up

Attendance Matters

🎯Attendance Goal: 96%

📉Current Attendance Rate: 94.56%

Hi Grown Ups!

One of the most important skills that we can learn is how to keep going after we make a mistake. As parents, you have a big role in how your child views him or herself after they make a mistake. Here are some helpful things you can say in order to foster resilience and help your child learn from their mistakes.

Warm regards,

Jenny Herbst

Tobias Counselor

From our School Nurse: Ms. Armstrong 👩🏻‍⚕️

What ails the school? Short answer ... A LOT

We have several of our first Flu’s confirmed, a handful of strep, Hand Foot and Mouth (HFM), and whooping cough. For high fever 102+ or fever that persists for 2 days, please take your child to see a doctor.

High persistent fever can be Flu or Strep. Flu can last 7 days if not vaccinated or if you don’t take Tamiflu. Tamiflu needs to be started in the first 48 hours of symptoms. Strep needs antibiotics, without these the person is contagious 2-3 weeks and is at HIGH risk for complications of rheumatic fever and potential permanent damage to the heart

There is still time for a flu vaccine. It takes 2 weeks to build immunity, but Flu season is just beginning and doesn’t end until March.

What to do when your kiddo is sick?

Keep the kid’s home for temp 100 or higher, vomiting, or diarrhea.

They may return once 24 hours free of symptoms without medication (ex Tylenol, Motrin, Imodium, Pepto, Zofran…). 24 hour count begins 6-8 hours after the medicine has worn off

Please email the nurse at if your child is diagnosed with Flu, Covid, or other illnesses. Nurse Email Ashley.Armstrong@hasycisd.net

CHECK OUT my webpage for more Tobias School Nurse Webpage

Send a Hays High Five

The Hays High Five program is a way for you to salute any Hays CISD employee who goes above and beyond what is expected. Whether you're a parent impressed with that special touch your child's teacher added to a moment, or you're a coworker who thinks the campus PEIMS clerk doesn't hear often enough about the great job she is doing - you can send a Hays High Five! Anyone can nominate any Hays CISD employee.

Send a Hays High Five

Tobias PTA

Join PTA

Explorer Store: Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteers Needed:

Tobias’ wonderful Counselor, Miss Herbst, started the Extraordinary Explorers Store last year and it’s back this year! It’s a way for teachers to recognize two Explorers each week who went above and beyond by giving them a coin to exchange for a prize at lunch time on Fridays! But we need your help! We’re looking for volunteers to help students pick their prizes during lunch hours, and also donations to the store if you’re able. Please consider signing up to help or donate, thank you!

To sign up for shifts helping Explorers pick their prizes(starting 9/13):

https://m.signupgenius.com/...

Extraordinary Explorers Store wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/XXYZNNIZB15E...

Cookie Swap and Hot Cocoa Party Volunteers Needed

We are excited for the upcoming holidays and winter break, counting down the days! Before the break starts PTA is planning some fun pop ins for both students and staff, but we need your help! Next Wednesday, December 11th, we are hosting a cookie exchange for Tobias staff! We are graciously asking for donations of either baked or store bought cookies so that staff can pick and choose to fill up their cookie boxes, please see the flyer below! To sign up to bring cookies please click this link

https://m.signupgenius.com/...

Then on Tuesday, December 17th, PTA is hosting Hot Cocoa Parties for ALL students! This will be after the students have specials, and bonus- it will also give our teachers a little extra time to do whatever they need to do before picking up their classes(win-win!). We are needing registered volunteers to help us throughout the day to make these parties successful, so please check out this sign up to see when you would be able to help out!

https://www.signupgenius.com/.../508054FAAAF2BA3FA7...

If you are not a registered VIP yet, it is very easy to sign up! You can register at https://www.hayscisd.net/vips

As always, thank you for helping and supporting the PTA and the Tobias community!

-Tobias PTA Board

Spread Holiday Cheer

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!

ONE WEEK ONLY!! Send us to serenade your favorite teacher or staff member by joining the PTA. Is everyone you know already a PTA member? Sponsor a student instead! The staff members on the receiving end will be surprised by a holiday hit sung by the Holly Jolly Membership Homies. It’s a real cool band.

Complete this form to send us rockin’ around Tobias:

https://tobias-pta.square.site/.../singing-christmas-gram/23

#YouCanPTA #everychildonevoice

Tobias Elementary Website

Arrival Procedures

Important Reminder!

Please do not drop students off in the parking lot during morning drop-off. Students must stay inside the vehicle until they reach the drop-off zone. For students who are running late, please drop off in the front of the campus and walk students inside after 7:30. Please remember that any students who do not live in Four Seasons Farm, Post Oak, or Creekside are bus eligible. We encourage bus eligible students to ride the bus when possible. Thank you for continuing to help us keep kids safe.

Buckle Up Zone Video

Dismissal Procedures:

Tobias Parent-Student Handbook 2024-2025

HaysCISD Approved Flyers

Access All Past and Current District and Community Flyers

🍕 LUNCH Policies and Guidelines

Please note that students eating with families will be asked to eat on the stage area and families may not invite other friends to join them during lunch.
District policy prohibits any parents from dropping off meals in the front office from outside restaurants. This policy includes parents bringing food from a restaurant to drop off at the front desk.
If you are brining a student a forgotten lunch box or dropping off lunch, please do so at least 30 minutes prior to student lunch times. We will call students down to get their lunches.
Our front office staff is usually very busy during lunch time and depending on the day, they may not be able to bring a lunch down to the cafeteria right at the start of student lunches.
Please note that for special campus events such as Grandparents' lunch and Thanksgiving Lunch we allow families to eat in the cafe and adjustments to lunch schedules are made in order to accommodate our increase in people using the cafe.

🥪 Designated Nut Free Zones

Students with nut allergies and food allergies will have designated areas at cafe tables to help keep them safe
Students will sit with their classes at their class cafe table
Students who have similar allergies or get a tray from our cafe are permitted to sit within the nut free zone
Custodians will utilize safe cleaning procedures to avoid cross contamination and we will follow district guidelines and policies to ensure students with allergies are able to remain safe in our cafes.

HaysCISD Cafe Menus

Important Links from our School Nurse

Leader in Me School

Leader at Home Series

🎯 LEADING @ HOME

Last assembly we focussed on Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Think Win-Win is a way of thinking and promoting abundance. It helps us remember that more than one person can win in life. Thinking Win-Win is the key to working well with others and resolving conflicts.

WIN-WIN ATTITUDE SCENARIOS Use the picture cards to spark conversation with your child about win-win attitudes and how they impact behavior and relationships. Ask curious questions for each card. CURIOUS QUESTIONS

1. What is the difference between winning and losing?

2. What do you think is happening in this picture?

3. Does this attitude help or hurt relationships?

4. What would you do differently to create a win-win for everyone involved?

Hays 2024-2025 School Calendar- Attendance Matters

Please utilize these calendars to plan vacations or make appointments for students. Attendance plays an enormous role in student success. Please use our district calendar student holidays when planning any vacations or trips during the school year.