HES Parent & Family Newsletter

We invite you to join us for Fall Conferences at Houston Elementary School, which will be held on October 14th and 15th from 3:15 pm to 6:00 pm. Please note that conference times and dates may vary depending on the teacher. This is a valuable opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers, discuss their progress, and explore goals for the school year.

Special Note for 6th Grade Families:

6th-grade teachers will hold their conferences in an "open house" style, so no sign-up is required. Feel free to drop by during conference hours to meet with your child’s teachers.

In addition to meeting with teachers, we encourage you to attend a session with the building administrator to review updates to the handbook and discuss the school’s goals and priorities for the year ahead.

Conference Dates and Times:

• Monday, October 14th (3:15 pm - 6:00 pm)
• Tuesday, October 15th (3:15 pm - 6:00 pm)

If you require alternative meeting options, please contact your child's teachers. Be sure to reserve a separate time slot for each of your students' appointments (except for 6th grade).

For assistance, please contact Angela McQuinn at Angela.McQuinn@hsd294.us or call (507) 896-5323, extension #1203.

https://ptcfast.com/schools/Houston_Elementary_School

In an effort to reduce milk waste and manage costs more effectively, we are making some changes to our milk distribution at snack time for students in grades 1-6. Moving forward, we ask that families who wish to purchase milk for their children at snack time complete the attached form. This will allow us to distribute milk more accurately and ensure that funds are collected appropriately.

Please take a moment to fill out the form and indicate which of your students you would like to receive milk during snack time It's important to note that students receive a free carton of milk each day during school breakfast and lunch. However, milk is only free at lunch if the student takes the school meal. Otherwise, students in grades K-6 will be charged $0.60 at lunchtime for their milk.

Milk distribution at snack will begin September 9th, 2024. We will add students to the list and milk will be delivered to students during their scheduled snack times.

Cost per milk $0.60:

• Quarter 1 - 9/9/24-10/31/24 (37 school days) = $22.20
• Quarter 2- 11/5/24-1/17/25 (41 school days)= $24.60
• Quarter 3- 1/21/25-3/21/25 (42 school days)= $25.20
• Quarter 4- 3/31/25-5/28/25 (40 school days) = $24.00
• Total cost for milk = $96.00

Thank you for your cooperation and support as we work to make this process more efficient.

Snack Break Milk Request

Kind regards,
Angela McQuinn
Assistant Principal, Houston Elementary School

• Monday- October 7th- Hamburger Gravy for lunch today with a bun
• Tuesday- October 8th- Chicken Tacos
• Wednesday-October 9th- Hot ham and cheese sandwiches
• Thursday- Chef Jamie will be here for dipping donuts. Today breakfast will start at 7:45 am
• Lunch today is Chicken strips
• Friday- October 11th- Sloppy Joe on a bun

All school meals are served with milk, vegetable and fruit options.

The alternative for the week is Egg Salad on a bun

We’re gathering for our first meeting to explore the possibility of forming a PTA or PTO at Houston Elementary School. During this meeting, we will discuss the purpose, structure, and next steps for starting a parent-teacher organization. A representative from Minnesota PTA will join us virtually to provide guidance and answer any questions.

Please indicate your availability and interest by using this link, so we can select a date and time that works best for most participants. We look forward to working together to support our school community!

As we wrap up the first month of school and move into October, I want to take a moment to reflect on how much our students have already accomplished. We’ve seen incredible growth in their learning, relationships, and character as they settle into the school year. At Houston Elementary, we believe in continuous improvement, and every day we witness how your children are growing—both academically and personally.

Our focus for October is on empathy, part of the CharacterStrong curriculum. Empathy is the foundation of understanding and strong relationships, and we’re helping our students learn what it means to truly listen to others, put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and show kindness in their words and actions.

As Cleo Wade reminds us in What the Road Said, the road may have twists and turns, but it’s the connections we build along the way that help us move forward. We encourage our students to practice empathy not only in the classroom but also at home and in the community, and we ask for your partnership in reinforcing this important value.

Together, as we continue to focus on growth and building strong relationships, we’ll ensure that our students thrive, both as learners and as compassionate, thoughtful individuals.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

In October, we are focusing on being purposeful in all we do, especially when it comes to reading. Reading with purpose helps build key skills for continuous improvement in student achievement. This month’s CharacterStrong theme is empathy, and one of the best ways to nurture empathy is through reading stories that open up new perspectives. Linked below is The Boy with Big Feelings, By Britney Winn Lee, a recommended book that helps students understand and connect with others' emotions. By reading purposefully, we can help our students grow into empathetic and thoughtful individuals.

In line with our commitment to continuous improvement and real-world learning, we are excited to to give a shout-out to our high school students who come to Houston Elementary every Wednesday from 2:30-3:00.

These students assist with supervision and engage in play with our younger learners, building meaningful connections and fostering leadership skills. This partnership provides a great opportunity for both elementary and high school students to learn from one another, strengthening our school community.

We are looking forward to the positive impact this collaboration will bring!

• October 14 & 15: Fall Conferences (3:15 - 6:00 PM)
• October 17- 18: MEA - NO SCHOOL
• October 25: Picture Retake Day.
• October 31: End of 1st Quarter
• November 11: Veterans Day Celebration

Please check the school website calendar for more information as well as other events/opportunities.