Please remember, when entering Youngblood Elementary or any Katy ISD school, you must show a valid picture ID in the front vestibule. Our staff is not able to accept a picture of your ID on your cell phone. Please reach out to us if you have any questions.

Our YES staff is Thankful for you sharing your children with us. If you would like to 'thank a staff member', please donate a pie by clicking on the link below. Our goal is to send each staff member home for Thanksgiving break with a pie.

We realize we are quickly approaching an upcoming break from school. However, we ask that you work together with us to get students to campus each day on time. Our school starts at 7:50 am.

We are working on having our students in class each day. Please help us have great attendance for the next two weeks. A much needed break is right around the corner.

Consistent attendance at school helps to promote growing student achievement.

Most of the prizes for student participation in the our campus fundraiser have already been given to students. All other prizes will be handed out on Thursday, November 14th. This is the day of our culminating fundraiser activity. ALL students will participate in what is called The Best Day Ever! There will be jump houses and fun activities for each grade level to enjoy for one hour during the school day. The students have been looking forward to this day! I can't wait for them to come home talking about how fun their day was at school.

Once again, we greatly appreciate your support with our fundraiser! IT was a huge success because of YOU!

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

We are quickly approaching the holiday season. In elementary school, we have 2 party days per year. At YES, we do one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester.

Our first party is Thankful parties and we invite parents (no more than 2 adult guest per student) to join us in the classrooms. No children (younger or older siblings) are permitted to this event. We have limited space in each classroom. We want to ensure that the YES student is able to enjoy the event with minimal distractions.

The invite has been sent home with each student. The rsvp allows us to review your credentials and prepare prior to your arrival to campus. If you are unable to rsvp, please arrive to campus at least 15 minute before the start of your child's party.

Please know that if students are checked out early from events it will be marked as an 'early departure' and may impact perfect attendance.

The Katy Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and The Katy-Fulshear area chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc are honored to support families this holiday season through the Holiday Giving Program! These organizations are sponsoring students from Youngblood Elementary to help brighten the holidays for those in need within our community. This is the 2nd year of the program as last year was a great success! If your family would benefit from holiday sponsorship, please complete the application form at the link below

Key Details:

• Eligibility: Open to Youngblood Elementary students only, please include student ID number on form.
• Application Deadline: Submissions will be accepted until November 15, 2024, or until we receive the first 75 responses.
• Sponsorship Confirmation: Selected families will receive an email confirmation of sponsorship.
• Gift Pickup: Sponsored families should plan to pick up gifts at Youngblood Elementary on December 9, 2024, between 3:30 and 5:00 PM.

Holiday Giving Sponsorship

We look forward to making this holiday season a little brighter for our community!

December is an exciting time of year for most school aged children for various reasons. Our staff and students will use the same calendar to dress up (it is optional) each day. Students can participate on the days that are of interest to them or they can dress up each day.

Each grade level at YES sends a weekly newsletter using CANVAS to parents on Fridays. The purpose of the newletter is to let our families know what objectives will be taught the upcoming week and any other grade level news. Weekly newsletters are not sent via email. As a district CANVAS is our main resource for sending newsletters. If you have not been able to get connected on CANVAS, please reach out to your child's teacher.

REMIND is used as a one-way communication tool for teachers to send reminders to our families. It is not a two-way communication tool. As parents, feel free to utilize the email address or the campus phone extension for the teacher to communicate concerns, questions, and/or other information.

We need your help! EVERY student was issued TWO picture IDs at the start of the school year. One ID is worn on a lanyard at all times during the school day and one ID is attached in a plastic cover with a zip tie on the backpack. Please ensure the backpack ID remains in place. The ID on the backpack is needed for ALL bus riders. Students are required to swipe the ID when entering and exiting the bus.

If students are without either ID, teachers will send them to the library for a replacement ID, lanyard, and plastic cover. There is a fee that is automatically generated by Katy ISD to the parent email. The link leads families to Pay-N-Go for payment for replacement IDs. Please check your emails from Katy ISD and if we have requested payment for replacement IDs, please make payment as soon as it is convenient for you. We greatly appreciate your support as we strive to keep our students safe at school.

We would like to solicit your help once again with our students who are bus riders. We have reviewed our expectations for our students when riding the school bus. However, many are young and may forget. Please help us by discussing the expectations with your child if they ride the school bus:

• Swipe the ID badge when entering the bus (students must have an ID on their backpack)
• Sit in the assigned seat with backpack on the lap
• Do not move while the bus is in motion
• Hands and feet are to stay to self
• Talk to the people on your seat--no yelling across the bus to others
• No cell phones or Chromebooks are allowed to be out on the bus
• Swipe the ID badge when exiting the bus

Our bus drivers are focused on driving the bus and being safe. Please help us reinforce that students need to stay seated while the bus is in motion.

Please let us know if you have concerns regarding the bus. We have been working with our students and our drivers regarding bus incidents. Students who are not able to consistently follow the rules of the bus may be removed. Of course, this is a case by case situation. I am optimistic with us working together, we will consistently have safe buses.

We love having families visit us during grade level lunches. We register new families daily, so I want to provide a few reminders for visiting during lunch:

• Be sure to sign up using the Sign Up Genius link at the bottom of this communication
• Once you get your visitor badge from the front office, please report to the cafeteria
• Sit at the parent table with your child
• No videoing or picture taking while in the cafeteria unless it is only your child
• When teachers are lining students up to leave for recess, please send your child to their table to line up
• Start moving back toward the front office as classes are lining up
• Return your badge to the front office ladies
• If you have a concern about your child, please feel free to reach out to an administrator
• Refrain from going to the classroom area--the lunch badge is only for the cafeteria

• Doors open at 7:25 am
• Be in the car rider line no later than 7:45 am in the morning. We will close the line at 7:45 to ensure that our staff has time to make it to their teaching assignments and ready for students. After 7:45, parents will need to PARK, wait for the car rider line to finish, and walk the student inside to the front office. Please refrain from dropping students in the parking lot and letting them walk in. This practice is not safe.
  
• Refrain from using your cell phone in the car rider line
• Afternoon car rider line will close for cars to enter at 3:10 pm. Remember, the end of our school day is 3:00 pm.

• Please STAY INSIDE the car. The staff will unload and load the student from the passenger side
• Please pull into the parking lot if you need to help your child buckle up, so that you do not hold up the carline.
• Wait for the staff to move all 12 cars forward. Please do not go around cars in the car rider line.

IMPORTANT: Please remember, there is no picking up of students in the front office after 2:30 pm. If a parent is not in the car rider line by the designated time, they can enter the office, but will need to wait until those who are in the car rider line are served. We will release car riders from the front office desk after the car rider line is finished. Please understand that this is us respecting the many families who are following campus procedures. With 1100+ students there is no immediate pick up system for students.

The YES 2024-2025 Campus Procedures can be reviewed in the document below.

All students at YES in grades K-5 are eligible for Katy ISD transportation. We have many of our students taking transportation to/from school each day. In order to help with our traffic in the area, you may want to consider bus services.

Katy ISD will continue with the bus rider tracking system, SMART tag on all of our buses. Parents will be able to monitor their child's ridership and bus route through the SMART Tag Parent Web Portal. The system will enable parents, bus drivers, and school administrators, to review in real-time when and where a student is picked up or dropped off by a school bus. Student identification (ID) cards for eligible riders will include the SMART Tag ID information. Buses will be equipped with a tablet that will read each student’s ID every time they enter and exit their bus.

If your student is a bus rider, look for the white route number on the side of the bus when tracking their bus this school year! And make sure to download the Smart tag™ app from your mobile Google Play Store or Apple App Store! The Smart Tag app allows parents to set their preferred notifications, including when their child’s bus is expected to arrive. You can also see when and where your student boards and exits the bus.

Our PTA is always looking for parents to support our children and staff. Support could be from near or far. Please consider supporting our campus by becoming a member of our PTA.

There will be several opportunities this year to get involved.

Memberships are so vital for helping the PTA work in partnership with the school to make great things happen for our learning community.

Please click on the link below to volunteer for a Watch D.O.G.S. day at YES. On scheduled day, dads should plan to arrive with ID between 7:15 and 7:25 to check in at the front office. Watch D.O.G.S. can bring their lunch or purchase lunch in the café.

Sign Up Genius - Watch D.O.G.S.

Reminder, all dads will need to complete the Katy ISD Volunteer Registration through Raptor and purchase a Watch D.O.G.S. shirt prior to your scheduled day.

• Register as a volunteer through Raptor (District Volunteer Application)
• Order Watch D.O.G.S shirt WATCHDOGS (dadsofgreatstudents.com)

Looking forward to having our Watch D.O.G.S. on campus.

Please only sign up for one day.

Monday, November 11th

• Veterans Day

Thursday, November 14th

• Best Day Ever!--Culminating activity for our fundraiser

Tuesday, November 19th

• Parents can access progress report grades in HAC @ 10 am Grades 1st-5th)

Wednesday, November 20th

• YES Virtual Spelling Bee @ 4:00 pm (cheer for our students)

Thursday, November 21st

• Thankful Parties
• 3rd-5th grades 8:45-9:30
• Prek/Kinder/ECSE/Life Skills 1:15-2:00

November 25th - November 29th

• Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL

DECEMBER

Monday, December 2nd

• Students return to school
• CAT Team Meeting 4:00 pm-4:45 pm

Thursday, December 5th

• Wear JOLLY head gear

Friday, December 6th

• Wear your favorite TEAM attire

Monday, December 9th

• Wear your favorite HOLIDAY VEST

Tuesday, December 10th

• Wear your favorite HOLIDAY MOVIE SHIRT

Wednesday, December 11th

• Wear your favorite HOLIDAY ONESIE

Thursday, December 12th

• Wear your favorite GRINCH attire

Friday, December 13th

• Wear your favorite JOLLY shirt
• 5th grade field trip

Monday, December 16th

• Wear RUDOLPH attire

Tuesday, December 17th

• Wear CANDY CANE attire
• 3rd grade field trip

Wednesday, December 18th

• MAD ABOUT PLAID--wear plaid

Thursday, December 19th

• Wear your ELF attire
• Holiday Show @ 6:00 pm--4th graders performing

Friday, December 20th

• Wear your favorite PJ's to school
• Report card grades viewable in HAC @ 10:00 am
• Early release for students at 12:05 PM.

December 23rd - January 6th

• NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK--we'll see you next year!

Tuesday, January 7th

• Students return to school

Website: https://www.katyisd.org/YES
Location: 25600 Longenbaugh Road, Katy, TX, USA
Phone: (281)234-6200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094119368508