Harry Shimotsu Elementary

Happy Monday Everyone, 🙂

As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s a great time to pause and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. In the spirit of the season, let’s take a moment to appreciate the friendships, support, and opportunities we share as a school community. This week, let’s remember the importance of kindness, inclusivity, and working together to make our school a place where everyone feels valued. Whether it’s through small acts of kindness or coming together for school events, every effort helps strengthen our bond and creates a positive environment for all. Let’s keep building a community where gratitude and respect are at the heart of everything we do—both this week and beyond.

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. Let’s continue to give thanks, not just for what we have, but for the ways we can uplift and support one another every day.

We encourage you to continue reading the rest of the newsletter to keep up with upcoming events and important information regarding our campus and district.

Ms. Claudia Garza, Principal

We are thrilled to announce that our Sharyland Pioneer High School Diamondbacks will face the Corpus Christi Buccaneers in a playoff football game on Friday, November 22, 2024. To support our team and ensure a smooth transition for bus transportation, all Sharyland ISD schools will have an early release on Friday, November 22, 2024. This adjustment allows us to allocate the necessary resources to ensure our buses complete their regular routes on time before departing for the playoff game.
Early Release Times:

Elementary Schools: 12:30 PM (No afterschool programs, please make proper arrangements for pick up)
Junior High Schools/High Schools: 12:00 PM

This early release also marks the beginning of the Thanksgiving Holiday Break. Classes will resume on Monday, December 2, 2024.

Daily attendance matters, let's make it count!

• Instruction begins at 8:00 a.m., tardy slips will be given to any student arriving after 8:05 a.m.
• Tardy and attendance notification letters will be sent out as of next week to parents/guardians.
• Excused and unexcused absences: For any absence, please notify the front office. Send a written excuse or doctor's note upon returning to school. Students have three days after returning to school to submit a written excuse, otherwise the absence is unexcused.

• Breakfast in the classroom will be served from 7:45 a.m.-8:00 a.m. only.
• Lunch: Cafeteria meals are available to all students at no cost. Students are also allowed to bring their own lunch. Please be advised that no items, including meals, are allowed to be dropped off throughout the day.
• Link to Menu: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=2803131626585483&page=menus

Visitors: Legal identification is required for campus entry screening during the school day. Students will not be released to anyone without a proper ID or if individual is not on the pickup list.

Drop-off Items: We ask no items be dropped off during school hours.

Guard Shack: Please be ready to show legal form of identification when stopping at our guard shack. The guard will raptor all incoming traffic starting at 8:05 a.m. on a daily basis. ****The guard shack will be closed off in case there is a drill being conducted on campus.

• Our campus opens its doors at 7: 00 am.
• The most congested time for drop off is from 7:40 am to 8:00 am.
• We ask parents not to get down on the drop off lane because it backs up traffic.
• If you foresee your child not being ready for drop off, please proceed to the very front of the line to allow traffic to continue through.

Birthday Celebrations: Please make arrangements in advance with your child’s teacher or with front office as we will only schedule a limited number of birthdays per day. Birthdays are at 2:45 pm in the cafeteria. We will allow store bought cupcakes or individually wrapped items, pouches of juice, or water bottles. Parents are encouraged to clean up the birthday area after the event. There will be a limit of two adult guests for celebration.

We would like to inform you of a change in our pickup procedures starting today. To improve safety for our students/parents and ensure a smooth flow of traffic, we will be implementing the same traffic pattern that we use during afternoon pick-up.
Key Change:
Traffic will only be able to turn left after pick-up/drop off in the front. This will help keep out pedestrians safe and make the process more efficient.
We appreciate your cooperation in following this new procedure. Please be mindful of the change and adhere to the updated traffic flow to ensure everyone’s safety. A reminder that campus does open daily at 7:00 AM.

As part of our ongoing efforts to support our community, we’re collecting canned goods for a local food drive. Your generosity can make a real impact in the lives of those who need it most. We will be collecting from Nov. 18th to Dec. 6th.

Please see attached flyer for more information.

November is National Diabetes Month, a time to raise awareness about diabetes and its impact on millions of people worldwide. Whether it's Type 1 or Type 2, diabetes affects individuals of all ages and backgrounds, and this month serves as an important reminder of the need for education, prevention, and support. By learning more about the disease, promoting healthy lifestyles, and supporting those affected, we can help make a difference. Let’s come together to spread awareness and foster a community of understanding and care for those living with diabetes.

Order your yearbook now for lifelong memories! Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase your HARRY SHIMOTSU ELEMENTARY yearbook in FULL COLOR and packed full of the memories you never want to forget. Order now, before it is too late! All yearbooks will ship to the school at the end of May 2025.

Early Bird Pricing up to January 7th, 2025: $42.00

Regular Price: Jan. 8, 2025 - Feb. 28, 2025: $45.00

Last Chance Price: Mar. 1, 2025 - Apr. 4, 2025: $50.00

https://www.buytheyearbook.com/en/yearbook

Dear parents/guardians we have our new mailbox outside the school to use for excuses and any other form that is being dropped off.

Join our SPTSO for fun and more at their Winter Festival on Thursday, December 12.

Please see attached flyer for more information.