GALATAS GAZETTE

Denae Wilker, Principal

Candace Mathis, Assistant Principal

Dawn Wright, Assistant Principal

Natalie Weber, Counselor

Through the collaborative efforts of all who pass through our door, we provide a safe learning community that develops lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

Website: http://galatas.conroeisd.net/
Location: 9001 Cochrans Crossing Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-5000

Front Office Hours: 7:25 AM-3:45 PM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalatasCISD/

We are looking forward to our Book Fair and Reading Week, which will take place October 21-25. Stay tuned for more information about that super fun week, but in the meantime we are excited that the online Book Fair is open now! Please visit the site below to get a head start on shopping for some great books for your family.

We need volunteers to set up, man cash registers, restock, and assist students. The book fair will also be open on Bedtime Story Night, and will need a few volunteers to stay a few minutes after closing to help restock.

Literati (our Book Fair company) is offering a 20% discount to Book Fair Volunteers!

Please visit the link below for information about volunteering, and to sign up to help!

Dear Parents and Families,

We are so excited about our upcoming Book Fair! This year our campus will host the Literati Book Fair on October 21-25. Students and families are welcome to shop during the hours listed below. We will also have a special family event on October 22nd.

Reading is vital to leading a better life, and knowing how to read is just the beginning. Motivating young people to keep reading, comprehend what they read, and develop the ability to think creatively are the end goals.

Our Book Fair has a wide variety of titles and interests for all students and may include books for parents, siblings, and family members of all ages. Families can visit the Book Fair website at https://efairs.literati.com/ to read reviews of featured books, as well as watch book trailers and author videos.

With your involvement, we can inspire children to practice reading and read more often. Together, we can build readers and read for a better life.

Thank you for your support,

Dawn Michalsky

Librarian

Book Fair Hours:

Monday, October 21: 7:35-3:00, 3:30-4:00

Tuesday, October 22: 7:35-3:00, 3:30-4:00

6:00-7:30 (Bedtime Story Night)

Wednesday, October 23: 7:35-3:00, 3:30-4:00

Thursday, October 24: 7:35-3:00, 3:30-4:00

Friday, October 25: 7:35-12:00 (Storybook Parade)

This year Reading Week and Red Ribbon Week have teamed up for a week full of wonderful activities. Here is a schedule of events and the fun daily themes to celebrate Reading Week and Red Ribbon Week at school. Be sure to ask your child about their favorite read-aloud, silent reading, and happenings going on at school. Enjoy reading to and with your child this week. Every Minute Counts!

Calling all bookworms! Our PTO is excited to offer an optional project for students to kick-off Reading Week.

Students can create a project based on a book they choose to read. They may create a display on a 22x28 inch poster board (no trifold boards) that includes literary elements and visuals.

Please visit the link to find information about the project and guidelines here:

Reading Fair Information and Guidelines

To register your student for the Reading Project, please use the link below. Please email programs@galataspto.com with any questions.

Student projects approved and entered by the October 10th due date will be on display throughout the school. All projects are due by Thursday, October 17th.

Judging will take place on Friday, October 18th. Results will be announced Monday for the top three students in each grade level to receive free books at the Book Fair.

Let’s Read! During the week, each student is challenged to read for 20 minutes or more per day. Students and parents can enter reading minutes daily (Monday- Thursday) online at the link below.

Each morning, Tuesday through Friday, the two students from each grade with the most minutes logged in will receive a free book from the Book Fair! Also, the section from each grade level that has the most student participation will receive a free book for their teacher from the book fair! The grade level at the end of the week that logged the most reading minutes will win a $10 Amazon gift card for those teachers! Teamwork makes dream work! Let the reading begin!

An on-campus, afterschool event featuring The Woodlands High School Theater group! The theater group will be doing a read-aloud of Armadilly Chili . Bring a blanket and stuffed animal for either the 6 PM or 7 PM show. The Literati Book Fair will be open for students and parents to shop during this event.

We are looking forward to our Storybook Parade on Friday, October 25. We will have an outside "Family Viewing Area" so that everyone can enjoy seeing the creative costumes while we celebrate our favorite books!

The parade will begin at 8:20 AM. As part of our parade route, our students will exit through the gym doors at the rear of the school, around the car loop, and then back into the school through the other set of gym doors. Families will be able to view the parade around the car loop at the back of the school. Please see the map below for specific details.

Parking will be available at Cattail Park, and there will be limited spots at Community Baptist Church as well. Please be careful and courteous, as the pre-school will be having their drop-off at the same time. Please do not park or drive through the Good Shepherd parking lot.

Students may come to school dressed as their favorite storybook character (no weapons, masks, face paint, or spray-painted hair, please), and should bring the character book to carry in the school-wide parade. Students should be able to change out of their costume independently.

During the weeks of October 15-18 and 21-25 the Activity Room will be unavailable for inside lunch guests due to the Book Fair set-up. As a result, only outside dining options will be available for lunch guests during those two weeks. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause on inclement weather days.

We thank you for your understanding, and invite you to visit the Book Fair with your children before and after school the week of October 21-25.

Order by January 1st for the early bird price of $30!

Use the link below to order your yearbook today.

TOP DOG Parents:

Applaud your 4th grader’s achievements with a special “Top Dog Shoutout” for only $20. Look for the “Shoutout/Ad” tab when ordering.

We also have a special section for our Top Dogs and would love for you to send in a baby/toddler picture of your child. Headshots work best! Send these to yearbook@galataspto.com, along with your student’s name and section number.

Each year our talented students get the opportunity to design the cover artwork for the yearbook.

This year’s theme is “Galatas at the Rodeo!”

Contest Rules:

1.) All submissions should be done in the portrait (vertical) layout.

2.) Maximum size should be 8.5”X11” on a white 8 ½” x 11” sheet paper. (This is the only size allowed for scanning purposes.)

3.) Include a greyhound in your picture.

4.) Do not put your name on the front of the paper.

5.) Including the school name is optional.

6.) Take a photo or scan your work and email it to yearbook@galataspto.com by October 25th. Include your name and section number in the email.

7.) Save the hardcopy! Those will be collected if chosen.

Once all submissions have been received, each grade level will vote for their grade level favorite. The finalist from each grade level will then go through a final round of voting to choose the cover for this year’s book. Good luck and have fun!

The 22nd Annual Conroe ISD Police COATS for KIDS DRIVE will take place from October 3-18! We will have a collection bin at our Counselor's office to collect new or gently used (clean) coats, hoodies, and sweaters.

During last year's Coats for Kids Drive, 1,100 coats, jackets, and hoodies were collected and distributed to campuses in need!

Hello families! I am excited to start meeting with groups called lunch bunch, and I would love to invite your child to join me!

My small groups consist of 4-5 students from a mixture of homeroom classes and gather once per week for at least 4-5 weeks. The students in my small group will bring their packed or purchased lunch to my office and we will visit, play games, and hold discussions while they eat. My small groups are designed to be preventative and developmental in nature. These groups will be geared towards fostering friendships and developing positive relationships among students. It will be a safe place to discuss friends, school, and whatever else is on their minds. Small groups are a great way for children to develop new friendships, share common concerns with children their age, and learn some skills for future experiences.

Please support our school by joining our amazing PTO. The link below will take you to the Galatas PTO website, where you can join the PTO and explore ways to get involved at Galatas.

It is a great way to get connected with our Galatas community and other parents.

Please sign up to donate a pumpkin to help decorate our school for fall and have fun picking out an extra pumpkin for Galatas!

Please drop off the pumpkin on the porch outside the school front entrance doors on Tuesday, October 8 from 8 AM-11 AM or Wednesday, October 9 from 8 AM-9 AM.

**There is a PTO meeting Tuesday, October 8 at 10 AM so you can drop off a pumpkin on the porch and stay for the PTO meeting!

We will put the pumpkins around the marquee sign at the school driveway entrance, by the carline drop off columns, and by the planters at the front entrance of the school.

Thank you so much for your donation. Please sign up at the link below so we will have an idea of how many pumpkins to expect.

Happy Fall,

Galatas Beautification Committee

Galatas Spirit Items (yard signs and stickers) are available for purchase year-round! Please order at the link below.

**Click on the link below to view a picture of the yard sign!

All visitors must be able to provide a government issued, photo I. D. at each visit. Photos of the I.D. will not be accepted. Visitors will check in at the front office and receive a Visitor Badge which must be worn at all times in the building. When leaving the building, visitors must check out with the front office and return the badge.

In order to volunteer at school, a Volunteer in CISD Application must be completed.

Please visit volunteer-in-cisd to complete the process, or click on “Volunteer (Parents)” in your student's Parent Portal.

Please see below for an outline of Tuesday’s YouTube Live with Dr. Null. Additional reminders are included below. We wish you and your family a wonderful weekend!

10/1/24 YouTube Live Outline

• 04:25 Welcome
  • 07:35 Read for a Better Life
  • 08:15 District Art Show
• 08:45 Opportunities to Watch Varsity Football
  • 09:45 Free on the Conroe ISD YouTube Channels
    • https://www.youtube.com/@conroeisdsports-wbs
    • https://www.youtube.com/@conroeisdsports-ms
• 10:00 Conversation with Andrew Stewart, Audio/Video Production Specialist
  • 10:45 Student intern programs and experiences
• 11:30 Cars & Coffee on Saturday, October 26
• 13:15 District Enrollment & Size
• 16:00 Transportation
• 17:30 Conversation with Juan Melendez, Transportation Director
  • 26:00 Q&A
  • 31:20 Transportation webpage and SmartTag
• 36:40 Largest Employer in Montgomery County
• 38:15 Board of Trustees
• 39:25 District Leadership
• 41:45 Recent Awards & Recognitions
• 44:15 School Safety
• 44:45 Conversation with Matt Blakelock, Chief of Police
  • 53:15 Partnership with the FBI
  • 55:50 Safe Schools
  • 57:00 Q&A
• 01:09:50 Budget & Tax Rate
• 01:15:50 Bond 2023 Updates
• 01:19:40 2025-2026 Calendar

CISD is looking for volunteers for a variety of committees:

1. Attendance Boundary Committee

2. Library Materials Reconsideration Committee

For more information or to apply for any of these committees, please visit https://www.conroeisd.net/parents/get-involved/

Please click on the photo to view the agenda for the October 8 SHAC meeting.

The GT Nomination window for parent nominations for the Spring, 2024 Gifted and Talented screening opens October 1- December 18, 2024.

Parents may nominate their Kindergarten and/or 1st grade student but it is highly advised that parents consult with their child’s teacher prior to nominating their child as tests can be frustrating for younger students due to the amount of time involved in testing.

Parents of 2nd grade students: Please do not nominate your 2nd grade child at this time! All second-grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment in October which will serve as a GT screener for second grade students. More information to come at a later date.

Parents may nominate their 3rd and/or 4th grade student. It is strongly encouraged that parents consult with their child’s teacher(s) prior to nominating their child. If your child has already qualified for Gifted and Talented services in some content areas but not all, you must nominate them again if you would like for them to try to qualify in additional areas. Students must take the full battery of tests as specific subject areas cannot be isolated for testing purposes.

Please contact our Assistant Principal, Dawn Wright, at dwright@conroeisd.net for additional information and/or a GT Nomination packet.

Spring GT testing will take place at Galatas Elementary during the school day from January 27-February 7, 2025.

All completed nomination packets must be returned to Dawn Wright on or before December 18, 2024.

You are invited to participate in Family PE Week which is officially held the first week in October. The goal of Family PE Week is to help families, schools and communities understand the importance of physical education. You can visit the official web site here, or visit the link below for some ideas and suggestions of some great activities that your family can enjoy anytime!

Dear Galatas Parents/Guardians,

It's flu season! The following is a great website with a chart that distinguishes between a cold, the flu or allergies:

Differences between a Cold, the Flu, and Allergies | Family Allergy & Asthma

If your child has the flu, please call the school and let us know. The nurse tracks illnesses every week.

Cough drops and inhalers are considered medication. Therefore, students may not have them in class or bring them to school. If you need to check in cough drops, inhalers, or other medication, please come to the school between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on school days - no need to make an appointment. Remember all medications need to be checked into the clinic, including cough drops and inhalers.

Thank you for the privilege of caring for your children here at Galatas. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at nkendall@conroeisd.net. I look forward to assisting you, and your student!

Nell Kendall, RN

Are you Vote Ready? If you’ve moved, changed your name, never registered, or are unsure about your voter registration status, visit https://elections.mctx.org by October 7 for the November 5, 2024 election. Already registered? You can confirm your information at the Montgomery County Elections website, too.

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found a significant association between high social media use and increased odds of depression symptoms in adolescents.

Visit http://tiny.conroeisd.net/CoBA2 for additional resources.

If your child qualified for free or reduced priced meals last year school year, please be aware that the prior status will expire on 9-26-2024. Families will need to apply and receive new approval for the current year. Please use the link above to apply.

Our school start time has moved to 7:55 AM. Students should be in their classrooms by 7:55 AM to view our Galatas morning announcements and begin their day.

The tardy bell rings at 7:55 AM. Students arriving to school after the tardy bell are considered tardy. Students arriving to school after the cones are set up at the entrance to the car rider line should be brought to the front of the school to enter through the front doors. Students must stop at the front desk. A parent should come into the school with the student to sign the student in for the day.

When your child is absent, please do one of the following before 9:00 AM:

• Call the front office (936-709-5000) with your student's absence information,
• Call the school attendance line (936-709-5014) and leave a message stating your child’s name, reason for the absence, person reporting the absence, and a phone number. or
  
• Email Robin Curtis (rcurtis@conroeisd.net) to explain the reason for their absence.

To ensure the accuracy of your child's attendance records, please call or email each day your child is absent, or if your child will be out for an extended period, please let us know by emailing Robin Curtis at the email above.

Attendance is recorded at 9:00 AM each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 AM due to a doctor’s appointment, he/she will be counted present if you bring your child back to school on the same day with a doctor's statement that verifies the appointment.

If your child is not in attendance at school for the entire day for any reason, the student is considered “absent”. There are basically two types of absences:

1. Excused Absence: an absence is considered "excused" when there is prior parental notification (phone call or email) explaining the absence, or a note from a parent or medical professional upon return to school. Absences can be excused if they are related to illness, medical appointment, a death in the family, or other health related reasons. An excused absence does not remove the absence from the student’s record, but it does document that a student is absent for an excusable reason.
2. Unexcused Absence: an absence is considered “unexcused” when there is no prior parental notification, no note or email sent upon return explaining the absence, for family travel/vacation, or other absences not recognized as "excused" by the district or state.

Transportation change notepads will be sent home with each student at Meet and Greet or on the first day of school. Please use these forms any time a student needs to go home in a different way from the permanent designated mode of transportation.

All transportation changes must be received in writing by 2:00 p.m. We are unable to accept a phone call. You may send a written note to your child’s teacher (place it in your student's PAWS folder), or fill out a form in the front office. Please include the date, your child’s full name, section number, bus number (if applicable), and your signature. If an emergency arises, you may send an email to galatastransportation@conroeisd.net . The e-mail must include all of the above information, including a parent signature, and must be received before 2:00 p.m. If you submit a transportation change by email, it must go to the email address referenced above; transportation changes should not be emailed directly to the teacher.

Please send a new note for each day the change occurs; we cannot accept notes for multiple days or with multiple changes. District policy states that a student may only ride the bus they are registered to ride; students may not have a transportation change to ride a different bus.

All visitors must be able to provide a government issued, photo I. D. at each visit. Photos of the I.D. will not be accepted. Visitors will check in at the front office and receive a Visitor Badge which must be worn at all times in the building. When leaving the building, visitors must check out with the front office and return the badge.

Please note that outside (from a delivery service) delivery of food to students is prohibited as noted in the CISD Student Handbook. This includes deliveries from Door Dash, GrubHub, etc... Forgotten lunches from home may be brought to the drop-off table by 10AM for delivery to students before lunch time.

If there are any questions, please call the office for assistance.

Lunch visitors are invited to enjoy our outdoor dining area (weather permitting). On rainy or other inclement weather days, we will have seating available in the Activity Room.

** Please consider limiting lunch visits to once or twice per month for each student, so that all parents have an opportunity to visit for lunch.

**Please limit the number of visitors to no more than four.

**Students may enjoy lunch with their parents/family only; please do not invite other students to eat lunch with your family.

**A driver's license or government issued photo i.d. is required for adults each time they visit Galatas. We are unable to accept a photo of an i.d. Please allow time (about 5 minutes) to complete the required check-in at the front office prior to your child's lunchtime.

**Please keep students and other children at the tables with you; do not allow them to run or play during lunch time.

**Please understand that if you arrive more than 5 minutes after your student's scheduled lunchtime, there is a possibility you will not be able to eat with your child, due to the limited amount of time allotted for lunch.

**We want to ensure the safety and security of everyone as they enjoy time together while visiting at lunch. If a grandparent or other family member wants to visit your child during lunch, the parent must send in written permission to the front office. The note will only need to be sent in once per school year, and at that time a notation will be made in the visitor system so that the school will have a record of the permission being granted. If a note is not sent, we will call a parent to grant permission before the visitor is allowed to join a student for lunch.

Lunchtime is limited to 25 minutes. A staff member will be monitoring the door, and will assist your child in returning to the cafeteria to join their class. Guests should then head back to the front office to return your visitor sticker.

Kindergarten 12:05 PM-12:30 PM

1st Grade 12:20 PM-12:45 PM

2nd Grade 11:50 AM-12:15 PM

3rd Grade 11:35 AM-12:00 PM

4th Grade 11:10 AM-11:35 AM

Please be mindful that the next grade level parents are also excited to visit their children for lunch. We ask parents to exit promptly at the designated time, to allow the next group to have lunch together. Thank you!

The Birthday Book Club is a great way to celebrate your child’s birthday or half birthday and help support the Galatas Elementary Library. We have partnered with Bound to Stay Bound, one of our library book vendors, so book selections can be made directly from the website.

Please visit the link below for more information and ordering instructions.

All students should have a SMART Tag on their backpack. Each day these tags are scanned by our staff members as part of our dismissal procedure to ensure that each student goes home the correct way.

SMART Tags are also used by our CISD Transportation Department, as a way to ensure authorized riders board our buses and improve the safety and security of students who utilize our bus transportation services. For more information on the SMART Tag system, please click here.

If your child loses their SMART tag, please notify their teacher and we will replace the tag. There is a $2.00 fee to replace a lost tag; that fee will be assessed in our School Cash system and you will be notified of the charge.

• Cell phones and smartwatches may be used respectfully and responsibly before school and after school.

• Cell phones and smartwatches should not be used to capture video, audio, or images at school or on the bus.

• Cell phones and smartwatches should be set on silent mode and kept in backpacks, lockers, or other designated storage areas and should not be visible during school hours including instructional time, reward time, free time, lunch, and in the hallways.

• Use of cell phones and smartwatches may be permitted in extenuating circumstances with permission from a staff member. (ex. to notify parent/guardian of a late bus)

School Cash Online is an easy to use and safe way to pay for your children’s school fees.

• Conveniently make payments for student fees online

All you have to do is register, attach your students and in no time, you will be able to make payments online.

Please visit the link below for more information and a link to register.

Conroe ISD Library Services is enabling daily email notifications so you are informed of the items checked out by your student. Daily emails will list the item(s) currently checked out. If the book(s) your student selected is not a good fit, please have your student return it to the campus library and choose a new title. If you have questions about the book(s), please contact the school librarian. Notifications for these daily messages can be managed in Parent Access Center (PAC). If you don’t have a PAC account, you will need to register for one to access the email settings. You can also view the item(s) your student checked out by logging in to Destiny Discover through your student's SSO account. You can further manage your student’s access to library materials by completing the Library Access Form found on the Library Services website along with viewing other helpful information.

Directions for opting in or out of these notifications can be found in the document below.

Please help your child be fully prepared for their day by ensuring that they have all needed materials (backpack, lunch, water bottle, etc...) before leaving for school in the morning.

To minimize interruptions to classrooms, please limit drop-offs to the following items:

• Water bottles and lunches may be placed on the Drop-off table before 10:00 a.m. at the front office. These items should be labeled with your child’s name and section number to ensure proper delivery. Items are delivered at 10:00 a.m. to a drop-off table at the end of each hallway, so please email the teacher to let them know that you have dropped off the water bottle or lunch. You may email your child’s teacher to let them know to allow your child to check the drop-off desk after 10:00 a.m.

• If you need eye glasses delivered to your child, please do not put them on the drop-off table. Bring them to the office staff for immediate delivery to your child.

• Any class work or homework that is dropped off will be placed in the teacher’s mailbox to be picked up during the day.

Lunches/food from delivery services as well as delivery of flowers, balloons, etc...to students at school are not permitted.

Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker. Students may refill their bottles during the day at one of our water bottle filling stations.

Sometimes it is necessary for a student to be checked out of school before dismissal.

If you know that you will need to check-out your child during the school day, please let their teacher know so that they can help your child gather their belongings and prepare for an early departure.

As a reminder, to ensure the safety of all students at dismissal, the latest a student can be checked out of school is 2:45 p.m.

The speed limit in the Galatas school zone is 20 mph. This is to ensure the safety of all of our community members during very busy times in the morning and afternoon. As families enter and exit the car line, please take care to drive slowly and carefully.

In addition, cell phone use in a school zone is prohibited. As you enter areas around schools, please end your calls and put your phone away.

The CISD Police and Montgomery County Sheriff's Department patrol our school zones to ensure everyone's safety, and will issue citations if necessary.

Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe!

When you visit Galatas, we have designated the 8 parking spaces at the entrance (closest to the school) as "visitor" spots. We welcome you to use these spots when you visit the campus. The lower parking lot has been designated as "staff" parking, (as well as a couple of spots that are reserved for our Springetti Parking winners).

If all the visitor spots are full, we ask that you please park at either Cattail Park, the row of spots closest to Galatas in the Community Baptist Church, or the closest end spots at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. These two churches have graciously offered these spots to us as our Galatas Family grows.

Thank you for your help with parking!

Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:

--Only cross at crosswalks! Our crossing guards and staff are here to keep everyone safe and ensure that families cross intersections in an efficient manner.

--Please do not park behind staff cars in the school parking lot. Please park in a parking space, as blocking cars could cause a safety concern in case of an emergency.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at Hayden's Run and Wyndspire South. Please keep the sight lines at the entrance clear for entering and exiting vehicles.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at South Silvershire Circle. Please do not park on the grass or lawn of the homes. Take care not to block driveways and leave enough room for residents to easily drive in their neighborhood at all times.

With the exception of service animals, dogs and other pets are not allowed on school grounds, including at the top of the hill during arrival and dismissal.

This is for the health and safety of our students and staff.

Student Breakfast $2.00

Student Lunch $3.20

Non Student Lunch/2nd Student Lunch $5.00

Milk $1.15

If your child is bringing their lunch, please pack items they can easily open.

Free and Reduced Meals: Parents must complete an application for students to be eligible for Free or Reduced meals. You may apply using the link below:

The CISD Board of Trustees has approved the 2024-2025 calendar. For your planning purposes, please download the calendar here: 24-25 CISD Calendar

We thank you in advance for planning all vacations and travel outside of the school calendar. When students are absent, they miss valuable instruction that takes place daily. In addition to the loss of that instructional time, Texas schools are rated not only on academic performance, but also on student attendance. Daily attendance plays a large role in our accountability rating from the state.

We appreciate your support and look forward to a great school year!

October

8 PTO Meeting-10:00 a.m.

11 No School: Student Holiday

14 No School: Holiday

21-25 Red Ribbon Week

21-25 Book Fair

22 Bedtime Story Night-6:00 and 7:00 p.m.

23 TWHS Red & Green Homecoming Parade @ TWHS

25 Storybook Parade-8:20 a.m.

31 Science Day

November

4 No School: Staff Development

5 No School: Election Day

7 Individual Picture Make-up Day

12 PTO Meeting- 10:00 AM

14 3rd Grade Program: 6:00 p.m.

15 Galatas Family Movie Night: 6:30 p.m.

22 Galatas Fun Run

25-29 No School: Thanksgiving Break

December

10 PTO Meeting-10:00 a.m.

12 Winter Party

20 Polar Express Day (Students wear p.j.’s)

20 Early Release Day, End of Nine Weeks– 11:55 a.m.

December 23-January 6 Winter Break

January

7 Classes Resume