Lion's Roar

Dear Parents and Students,

Happy Fall, everyone! It feels wonderful to breathe in the crisp, fresh air each morning, and what makes each day even brighter is seeing the smiling faces of our SJW Lions as they enter the building. Time is flying, and we are off to a fantastic start! Our teachers are providing data-driven instruction, our students are engaged in active learning, and we are finishing up our Beginning-of-Year (BOY) assessments. I’m thrilled with the way the school year has begun and excited for what’s ahead.

As we move through October, we ask for your continued support as we welcome parents and volunteers back on campus. To ensure the safety of our students, staff, and visitors, we’ve introduced a few new procedures to make the most of our limited space and keep everyone secure.

Important Reminders for the 2024-2025 School Year:

• Attendance is key to success. Please ensure your child gets plenty of rest and attends school daily. Every absence is unexcused unless we receive documentation, which can be emailed. Remember, students are considered tardy if they arrive after 7:30 a.m. Missing instructional time can be challenging to recover, so let’s make school a priority!

New Procedures to Keep in Mind:

• Car-Rider Tags: All car riders must have a current-year tag visibly displayed during after-school pick-up. Old tags are no longer valid.
• Bus Ramp: Only district school buses, daycare vans, and vehicles with a Lion’s Lane tag may enter the bus ramp for arrival and dismissal.
• Staff Parking Lot: This lot is for staff only and may not be used for student drop-off or pick-up.
• Walkers Dismissal: Walkers will meet at the stop sign at Burleson Bend Dr. or near the bridge at Southwood Trace Ln. Dismissal for walkers is at 3:30 p.m.
• Lunch with Students: Parents may join their child for lunch on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, following the schedule of dates we’ve created. An online registration form will be required, and due to space limitations, only one parent/guardian can attend per student—no additional children, please.
• No Food Deliveries: The campus will not accept food deliveries from companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or GrubHub. Any delivered food will be returned to the company.
• Event Registration: Most campus events will require online registration ahead of time. Please note that only parents or legal guardians can complete registration, and there may be guest limits for certain events.
• No School-Aged Children at Events: No school-aged children will be allowed to attend events or activities that occur during the school day.
• Clear Backpacks: All students must use clear or mesh backpacks, and visitors must follow district guidelines for clear purses/handbags.
• ID Registration: Please register your ID with the front office at your earliest convenience.

With your help and cooperation, we can continue to make this year stellar for our Lions. Thank you for your support and understanding as we implement these new procedures. Let’s work together to ensure a safe, productive, and exciting school year!

Warm regards,

Kimberly B. Wells

Principal

Dr. Shirley J. Williamson Elementary

PK- 5th Grade

7:35 AM -3:15 PM

PK3 AM

7:35 am -11:20 am

PK3 PM

11:30 am -3:15 pm

Tardy Bell

7:35 AM

*Parents must walk the student in.

Dismissal

3:15 PM

October 4- 4th Museum Field Trip; World Smile Day- Wear yellow 😊

October 5- PK Literacy Day (9am-12pm) 📖

October 7- Take a Stand Against Bullying by Wearing Blue 💙

October 8- 2-5 ELAR Unit 1 Assessment 📝

October 9- 2,4,5 Science Benchmark 1 & 3rd Math Benchmark 1 📝

October 10- 2, 4, 5 Math Benchmark 1 & 3rd Science Benchmark 1 📝

October 11-14- Fall Break- No School 🍁🍂

October 15- Staff Development Day- No School for Students 🚫

October 16- Unity Day ; Volunteer Orientation & Title 1 Meeting 🧡

October 17- Breast Cancer Walk 🎗️

October 21-25- Red Ribbon Week ❤️

October 23-Nov. 1- Book Fair 📚

October 24- PTA Meeting; Late Night @ Book Fair

October 29- 5th Symphony Field Trip 🎼

October 30- Fall Pictures 📸

October 31- Book Character Parade 👩🏼‍🚀

November 1- Fall Festival 🎃

Pumpkin Book Character Contest

SJW Annual Book Character Pumpkin Contest is back! This is a fun way to let students get creative and decorate a pumpkin to resemble one of their favorite book characters. Click the link above for contest details. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Abrau at vabrau@galenaparkisd.com.

Scholastic Book Fair- October 23-Nov. 1

This is a great opportunity for students to add books to their home collection and further their love of reading. All purchases benefit our school.

• Parent Letter- Eng.
• Parent Letter- Spanish
• EWallet- Eng.
• E-Wallet-Spanish

Storybook Character Parade- October 31st

Join us for our Annual Book Character parade! All Pre-K through 5th grade students are encouraged to come to school dressed as a character from their favorite book. Parents are welcome to attend. Click the photo below for guidelines.

The front office remains locked at all times. Please ring the doorbell on the right side of the door under the camera. Please wait patiently to be buzzed into the office. If you are scheduled for a meeting/and or appointment, you will be checked in with your ID through our Raptor System and issued a visitor's badge. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Galena Park ISD continues to provide healthy meals each day at no charge for every student enrolled in GPISD schools. The Student Nutrition department offers breakfast service in the cafeteria, and on Grab-N-Go Carts, which are located in the hallways for students to grab breakfast on their way to class.

Download the Schoolcafe mobile app today! The Schoolcafe app provides you with quick access to your child's school lunch menu and the ability to add money to their school meal accounts.

Fridays are Spirit Days or College Day. Students are encouraged to wear a spirit shirt or a college/university shirt.

Stay tuned for other special days when students can dress up!

Parents will not be allowed to walk up and pick up a student from the door at dismissal. Early pick up ends at 2:30 PM daily. We ask for patience as this is the first month of school and students will be learning new car tag numbers.

Bus Riders

Please check your bus route number on the Galena Park ISD transportation site. School personnel is not responsible for assign a student a bus route. Please communicate with the office by 2:30 pm if the students need a transportation change.

Walkers

Walkers will begin exiting the building at 3:30 PM. We have designated specific pick-up areas to streamline the process and ensure that students are safe as they leave school grounds:

**New Forest Parkway:** Students dismissed on New Forest Parkway will meet at the stop sign on the corner of New Forest Parkway and Burleson Bend.

**Southwood Trace Lane:** Students dismissed on Southwood Trace Lane will meet at the bridge on Southwood Trace Lane.

Car Riders

Morning Drop Off-

We ask that students be dropped off along the circle ramp to ensure the safety of all students.

Afternoon Pick Up-

All car riders need a current tag with a school assigned number for dismissal. An ID check is required if you do not have car tag at the time of pick up. Cars without the current school issued tag will be required to park in the visitor's parking lot and wait until after 3:35. Siblings will have the same car tag number if living in the same home. Practice car tag numbers with students. This will speed up the process.

Students should not be dropped off or picked up in the staff parking lot. This is for your safety. All parents must remain in their car and utilized the designated areas to safely drop- off and pick-up students. Thank you in advance for complying with our procedures. These procedures are in place to keep our students safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the office.

Medication

If your child needs to take medication at school, please go to my school web page at SJW and print the forms or call me at (832) 386-4000. ALL MEDICATION MUST BE KEPT IN THE CLINIC AND HAVE A DOCTORS ORDER. THIS INCLUDES OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDS.

Extra Clothes

Please keep a set of clothes in your child’s backpack in case of wetting, mud, paint or food accidents.

Thank you,

Nurse Williams, RN

We know celebrating a birthday is very special, and we welcome you to send store bought cupcakes or goodie bags with your child or drop them off to the front office staff before 2:00 pm. The teacher will pass out the treats after 2 pm to the students in the class. Please get with the teacher about the number of students in the class. No balloons or other food (pizza, etc.) can be brought in or ordered.