Mt. Peak Family,

What a wonderful way to wrap up 2024 with so much joy and excitement on our campus! From holiday parties filled with laughter and fun to meaningful projects like the Empty Bowls fundraiser, our students have shown incredible teamwork and compassion. We’ve also enjoyed fun-filled activities, from the excitement of the Masked Singer holiday edition to heartwarming visits from special guests, making this season truly unforgettable.

As we head into winter break, I want to wish you all a restful and joyful holiday season. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on January 8th, ready to start a new year full of learning and growth together!

Warm regards,

Adam Henke

Principal

adam.henke@midlothianisd.org

Dec 23-Jan 3: Student/Staff Holiday (Winter Break)

Jan 6: Teacher Workday (Student Holiday)

Jan 7: Teacher Professional Development (Student Holiday)

Jan 8: 1st Day Back for Students

Jan 8-24: MOY PK/ECSE Circle Window

Jan 9: Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Jan 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Jan 20: Student/Staff Holiday

Jan 21: DOJO Store Fliers Sent Home

Jan 27-31: Holocaust Remembrance Week

Jan 28: ELAR District Curriculum Benchmark (DCB)

Jan 30: 5th Grade Science DCB

Jan 31: T2 Grade Level SATs

Jan 31: Pep Rally

February is Black History Month

February is Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month

Feb 2: Texas Military Heroes Day

Feb 3-7: National School Counseling Week

Feb 3-7: PTO Penny Wars

Feb 4: Math District curriculum Benchmark

Feb 7: Glow Dance/Art Show

Please take a moment to fill out the form below to provide feedback on the whole-class Holiday Parties we hosted this year. Your input is valuable and will help us improve future events.

Just a quick note: the setup for the End-of-Year parties will be different, as those will be hosted in individual classrooms.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping us make these events even better!

Wow! What an incredible party day! Thank you for all the parent support to make the parties run so smoothly!

A big thank you to our amazing PTO for blessing our staff with a beautiful gift for the holidays! We are so thankful for your generosity and unwavering support!

Second grade had a special guest today! Mr. Conductor from the Polar Express came to read us his favorite book! Happy Holidays everyone!

Our masked Singer round 4 was this morning! It was our very own Mrs. McDonald, who dedicated it to a former teacher, Mrs. Hartgraves! Congratulations to Mrs. Stephenson’s class who guessed correctly!!!

Masked Singer - Holiday style Round 5 was pretty incredible! Congratulations to Mrs. Hanson’s class for winning! Such talent at Mt Peak!

Buddy the Elf spent some time with us on Wednesday to spread Holiday cheer for all to hear!

Ms. McVey’s homeroom participated in Maker Stations in the library. They were able to complete a variety of hands on learning activities. You can tell from the smiles that they had a wonderful experience.

We had a fun dress up day with Ugly Sweaters or fancy dress!

We have some exciting news to share with you! Our scholars had been working on a service project for the month of November, since our Capturing Kids Hearts trait is Teamwork. They collaborated with Mrs. Cobb for an "Empty Bowls" project. Your child has learned about the mission behind the international project to fight hunger. Mrs. Cobb has also worked with the students, teaching them about how to mold a piece of art from air dry clay. This personalized bowl was created by the students, and parents had the opportunity to purchase their unique creation while contributing to their cause.

We are excited to announce that scholars raised $1500!!!! Today they presented a check to Sissy and Norma from Manna House to help provide food for those in need.

We are so proud of our scholars and teachers! We truly appreciate the hard work that went into this amazing project! What a great way to incorporate teamwork! We can accomplish great things by working together~

The Adopt-a-Shelf program is in its first year at MPE and is open for 3rd and 4th grade students. Students are assigned a shelf in the library and they are to check on it throughout the week to make sure the shelf is neat and orderly. This lets student take responsibility and pride in the library, while helping Mrs. Hobbs.

On Mondays, a winner of each section is chosen.

All the winners from this semester were put into a drawing for a free book or a reader mystery bag (filled with items perfect for those who love to read!).

Winners were:

Rocky R., Samara N., Ian K., Olivia C., Zion P., Casey Y., Savannah, Owen M., Logan V., Cooper C., Ian F., Nicholas K., Tylee G., Emmie C., David S., Carolina C., Salem T., Callahan B., Lilly S., Judah M., Vivian L., Keyser N., and Naomi L.

Friday our Pre K class had the amazing opportunity to listen to Mrs. Cole's good friend and Author, Janette Valderrama Perla! She recently wrote a book titled “Bye Bye Baby Butterfly.” She sang the book to us on her ukulele and sang us some Christmas songs as well. It was a great time had by all!

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Wednesday January 8th. Have a great holidays!

We are excited to share an opportunity to get involved with the school through our Father Figure volunteer group, DOGS. This group steps in to help whenever the need arises, whether it's assisting with the drop-off car line on Friday mornings or giving our staff a break during particularly cold or rainy weather. The commitment is flexible—you don't need to be there every Friday, but when you can participate, the kids and staff truly appreciate it.

We'll also have various opportunities throughout the school year to help out with setting up for school events. It's a great way to make a positive impact, and the kids love seeing the dads and father figures involved.

If you'd like to join, please click [this link] to sign up.

Background Checks

While completing a background check isn't mandatory, it's always a good idea to have one on file in case an event comes up that requires volunteer help inside the school. You can complete the Volunteer Background Check here.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Mr. Henke at adam.henke@midlothianisd.org.

We would love to see a strong group of men involved at Mt. Peak, so please consider signing up!

We would love you to follow along during the week for updates of what is happening at Mt Peak. You can follow along on Facebook There is an imposter site. So, please follow the one with a picture of the school in the header.

The Mt Peak mission statement is the Mt Peak family will make a positive difference in the lives we touch by putting children first and challenging everyone to reach their full potential.

Our staff is working so hard for your kids! We would love for you to share the impact they are having on your child or any special information you would like to share. Please fill out this form for us.

Thank you!

Hello! We have had such a fun week this week as we have enjoyed dress up days, holiday music, and grade level winter parties. Thank you to all who have supported and attended various events during this season. We look forward to the upcoming Spring Semester following the winter break. I hope that each and each one of you has a restful and blessed winter break! We appreciate you!

Wendy Waldroup

Counselor

What is Responsibility?

Responsibility is the willingness and ability to take ownership of our thoughts, words, and actions. We have a responsibility to our school, family, and community to be accountable for our choices and how they impact ourselves and others.

Why focus on Responsibility?

• Responsibility teaches resilience. It is not possible to persevere and achieve our dreams without taking personal responsibility seriously.
• Responsibility empowers us to own our actions. There is great power in being able to make conscious, calculated choices to reach goals and manage those things in our control.
• Responsibility teaches us to manage our time and resources. Responsibly organizing and prioritizing needs is an executive function of the brain that improves with practice.

Responsibility in Action:

• Give students roles and responsibilities. When students have a leadership role in class, they are accountable for contributing positively to the classroom culture.
• Empower students with self-management tools. Provide students with tools to help manage stress and impulsivity while motivating them to meet goals.
• Clearly communicate consequences. Empower students to make choices and experience the consequences of their actions, both positive and negative.

Mark your calendars! Check back regularly for updates and new events added

Feb 11: PTO Meeting

Mar 6: PTO Meeting

Apr 1: 6:00 PM 1st Grade Performance & PTO Meeting

Apr 17: PTO Auction

May 15: PTO meeting voting for new board members

The YMCA utilizes Mt Peak for after school care on school days! For more information and the weekly newsletter click the button below.

Mark your calendars to attend the community of Midlothian 2025 MLK Weekend of Celebration and Service. Events will be held from Friday, January 17 through Monday, January 20 and include a movie night, gospel concert, day of service, and essay contest all leading up to a special MLK program on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The theme of the weekend is "Mission Still Possible: The Answer is Love."

The MLK Day of Service and Essay Contest will be held Saturday, January 18 at the First Methodist Church of Midlothian. The contest is open to students and writing prompts are organized by three levels- elementary, middle school, and high school. Students in middle and high school will compete in person on January 18 at First Methodist (time to be determined) and elementary students will submit their writings through their MISD teacher. First-place winners at each grade level category will read their essays at the MLK Program on Monday, January 20.

The essay contest aims to engage students in meaningful reflection on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, legacy, and ideals. Students will be encouraged to explore writing prompt themes on equality, justice, nonviolence, and community through Dr. King's work and vision. Essay contest participants will gain a deeper understanding of civil rights, social responsibility, and how individuals can create positive change in our local community.

For more information, follow the event Facebook page. This is an event hosted by community groups.

Per MISD Athletics,

• Families should enter through Gate A.
• Free admission is available only for campus students. Parents are required to purchase a ticket.
• Students can either show their student ID or wear a campus spirit shirt for entry.

• MISD enforces a Clear Bag Policy.

• Please note that outside drinks (including tumblers) and food are not permitted.

A campus administrator will be on duty at Gate A to welcome families and answer any questions that may come up. Thank you! It is going to be a fun season, and I cannot wait to see the kids at the big game!

Mt Peak has a great director and would love to serve you. Register here for after-school childcare.

If you believe you have opted into the text alert feature and are not receiving text messages, go to your Skyward Family Access account and click on “Skylert” to verify your contact information. Update information if needed and allow 24 hours for our systems to recognize your changes. You should begin receiving text alerts and emails.

If you unsubscribed to receiving email notification please complete this form (https://forms.gle/3sUmoWnjT7S7cpx27) to re-activate your email notifications.

All Texas school districts are required by law to distribute information to parents and guardians about the safe storage of firearms. House Bill 3, Section 19 added Section 37.222 to the Texas Education Code, which requires the Texas School Safety Center, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Public Safety, to provide information and resources to school districts for the purpose of disseminating the information to parents. The Texas DPS launched a Keep ‘Em Safe Texas website that provides safety resources, materials, and tips for practicing safe gun storage to prevent accidents and keep children safe. Remember, a gun should be stored unloaded in a safe or locked container, with ammunition stored elsewhere. You can learn more and find additional resources from the Texas Department of Public Safety at https://safegunstoragetexas.com.

Below are resources that have been previously shared with parents/students with accessing and logging in to district resources. As we approach mid year we wanted to share them again.

UPDATE this

• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for MISD Students [Grades 4-12]
  
• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for MISD Students [Grade 3]
• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for MISD Students [Grades K-2]
• 24-25 Quickstart Guide for Skyward Family Access
• How to Set Up Parent Canvas Observer Account
  
• 24-25 Student Guide to Canvas in the Classroom

Does your student need MISD school bus transportation? All students must have a current Bus Rider Contract on file for each year. All contracts received by the July 12 deadline will secure route information and transportation for the first week of school. Contracts received after July 12 are being processed on a first come, first served basis and transportation is not guaranteed for the first week of school.

If you have not submitted a contract for your student, please fill one out and return to the Transportation Department by emailing to bus_contracts@midlothianisd.org or by delivering to 601 E. Avenue E, Midlothian. Please remember that your student cannot ride the bus until their contract is processed.

Dear MISD Families,

You may have received this information directly from your campus, but we want to ensure all MISD families know about an update and opportunity from our Child Nutrition Department. Please disregard this message if you have already applied for free/reduced-price school meals for the 2023-24 school year.

Students who participated in the free/reduced-price meals program during the previous school year in Midlothian ISD could continue receiving free/reduced-price meals for the first 30 days of school. This 30-day grace period has now ended, and a new application must be submitted. Students will no longer receive free/reduced-price meals without application approval for the 2023-24 school year.

Please click here to visit the MISD Child Nutrition Department website for more information on school meals and to apply for the free/reduced-price meals program.

If you have any questions or need assistance, you can reach our Child Nutrition Department by emailing mandie.tucker@midlothianisd.org or calling (469) 856-5390.

MISD Communications

Midlothian ISD uses Skyward Family Access for enrollment and to give parents real-time data about their student's grades, attendance, assignments, and more. Alerts can be set to individual preferences and information.

Skyward Family Access: 23-24 Quickstart Guide for Skyward Family Access

August 9th, 12th, 16th, 23rd, 29th

September 6th, 13th, 19th, 28th

October 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, 31st

November 8th, 15th, 21st,

December 6th, 13th, 20th

5201 FM 663

Midlothian, Texas 76065

469-856-6300

https://mtpeak.midlothianisd.org/