Boals Weekly

Happy Thursday Boals' Families,

Welcome back! We hope your holiday break was filled with rest, joy, and opportunities to create wonderful memories with family and friends. As we begin this new year, it has been such a delight to see all of our students' smiling faces back on campus this week.

In classrooms, students have been busy reviewing expectations and setting fresh goals for the year ahead. This is such an exciting time as we focus on building momentum for the second semester. We can’t wait to see all the incredible learning, growth, and achievements our students will accomplish in the months to come.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Let’s make this semester the best one yet!

Please continue to check out our Boals website, Boals PTA Website and District website for upcoming information.

Boals Website

FISD Website

Boals PTA Website

Proud Assistant Principal,

Heather Pettke

On January 7th, we began implementing a new safety measure during dismissal to ensure the security of all our students.

Parents/Guardians picking up students at dismissal will be required to have the color grade level placard with the student's name with them in order for the student to be released. This applies to the carpool line and the walk-up area. Only one name sign per family is needed, preferably for the oldest sibling, as younger siblings go home with the older sibling . If the parent is walking up to pick up their child (including on rainy day dismissals), they will still need to show the name sign for verification.

If Parents/Guardians do not have the required placard, they will be directed to the Boals Office to present a valid driver’s license before the student(s) will be released.

If there is a day when there is a change to a student's regular dismissal process, the Parent/Guardian must send an email to the teacher and Boals Office stating the name of the person authorized to pick up the student. A phone call by itself is not sufficient. The person picking up must present a physical government issued ID.

If you have misplaced the placards provided at the beginning of the school year, additional placards can be requested directly from your student’s teacher.

We appreciate your cooperation and support as we work together to prioritize the safety and well-being of every child at Boals.

Thank you for helping us maintain a secure and organized dismissal process.

Please be reminded that FISD playground areas, including the Boals playground, are closed for public use on school days until 6:30 PM and after dark.

The YMCA Afterschool Program operates on our campus from 3:05 PM to 6:30 PM each school day, and during this time, the playground is reserved exclusively for YMCA participants.

We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a safe and structured environment for all students. Thank you for your support!

We have several items in our Lost and Found that need to find their way back home! Please encourage your child to check for any missing belongings over the next week. Any unclaimed items will be donated to Frisco Threads the end of January. You may come up to the school cafeteria before or after school to look through the items - just remember to bring your ID! Thank you for your help in ensuring these items are reunited with their owners or put to good use in our community!

The 2024-2025 Kindergarten - 5th grade Gifted/Talented Program referral window will be open from January 8th - January 22nd, at 3:00 PM CST. Kindergarten - 5th grade parents will receive a school messenger email with specific referral details on Wednesday, January 8th. Information about the Gifted/Talented Program may be found on the FISD Gifted Education website. Please contact your campus G/T teacher with any questions.

January 10-School Closed due to inclement weather

January 17-7:45 am Celebration of Learning led by 2nd and 4th grade teachers

January 20-No School, School Holiday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 22-PTA Diverse Abilities Day during Specials for all students

January 24-Good Morning Boals led by Ms. Boyd's 1st grade class

January 28-Campus Improvement Team Meeting 3:15-4:00 pm-Boals Library

January 31-7:45 am Shorten Good Morning Boals led by Ms. West's Kindergarten class/Team Huddles

Due to the size of our student enrollment and spacing issues in the Cafeteria, Visitors to Good Morning Boals and Celebration of Learnings will be limited to the families of students performing and/or receiving a Character Award. Teachers will notify you when your child is performing or receiving an award by sending you an invitation. Thank you for your support as we continue to grow in size and ensure safety of all our students during our weekly assemblies. We look forward to seeing you soon.

During the month of January, we will be talking about self-control as our character trait and thinking of our school wide expectations for each area in school. In guidance we will focus on getting along with others, listening, and problem solving skills.

Watch D.O.G.S. are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. During the day, Watch D.O.G.S. may read, work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well! Use the link to pick a day to SIGN UP and support our GREAT BOALS STUDENTS!

I want to be a WATCH DOG!

Remember to JOIN the BOALS PTA this year! Boals PTA is responsible for bringing in programs such as High Touch High Tech, Dinosaur George, and Hey Dude, Nice Shoes! Boals PTA also hosts Book Fair in the Fall and in the Spring, Multicultural Night, and Spring Carnival. These programs enhance your child’s learning! Please help us to continue offering these experiences! *Individual dues are $14 and Family dues are $25.

JOIN BOALS PTA

Boals PTA is always looking for parent volunteers to help in whatever capacity they’re able! Your kids LOVE to get a glimpse of YOU walking through their hallways during the day, helping in big and small ways! Let us know what volunteer opportunities work best for YOU!

**Have some time to help out here and there? Do you want to volunteer for a specific event? Do you want to volunteer for lunch duty when needed? This link will help us connect with you!

Connect with PTA for more Volunteer Opportunities

ATTENTION KINDER AND 1ST GRADE PARENTS!

PALS (Parents at Lunch) helps Boals Elementary's youngest students with adjusting to their new lunch routine. Volunteers lending a hand typically help with opening food packages, helping children obtain napkins and utensils, and monitoring the students for anything that needs a teacher's attention.

Volunteers can sign up as often as they would like -- help once a week, twice a month, or at any time your schedule allows. Sign up dates will be available throughout the year.

Kinder Lunch: 10:30-11:00

1st Grade Lunch: 11:00-11:30

I want to help during MY CHILD'S LUNCH

Need some BOALS SWAG?? Show your Boals Pride and purchase a Yard Sign, car decal, and/or cup decal! Click on the link below to purchase your TODAY!

I WANT TO SHOW MY SCHOOL SPIRIT

Follow Boals PTA on Facebook and Instagram, all links on linktr.ee/boalspta

Truancy and the 90% Attendance Policy

Ensuring student success in school is a top priority and regular attendance plays a significant role in that success. Truancy and the 90% Attendance policy are in place to support your student's academic achievement. Research shows that missing school regularly, even if absences are excused, significantly impacts a student’s ability to keep up with lessons, understand key concepts, and ultimately succeed in their studies.

What is Truancy?

Truancy is the accumulation of unexcused full day absences and/or missing part of a school day. Some examples of unexcused occurrences include but are not limited to: not submitting an Absence Report Form online and/or medical note when a student misses a full school day or part of a school day, leaving school early for personal reasons, late arrivals and early pick-ups for personal reasons and absences due to extended travel.

FISD allows 8 absences (4 absences per semester) to be coded excused based upon a parent note.

Please use the links below from the FISD website for more detailed information and FAQs. https://www.friscoisd.org/departments/school-attendance/home https://www.friscoisd.org/departments/school-attendance/truancy

What is the the 90% Attendance Policy Under Texas Law?

A student must be present for at least 90% of the time a class is offered. For example, if a school year consists of 180 days, a student cannot miss more than 18 days to meet the 90% attendance requirement. Missing more than this number could result in consequences, including:

· Retention or

· Loss of course credit or

· Referral to truancy court

The 90% Attendance Policy considers the student's total number of absences (both excused and unexcused) in a school year.

What Happens If My Child Misses Too Much School?

The following steps are taken by the school if your student exceeds the number of absences allowed under the 90% Attendance policy or is deemed truant due to unexcused occurrences:

1. Notification: The school will mail a letter and/or email notification to the guardian(s).

2. Intervention Meetings: The school may schedule a meeting with the guardian(s) to discuss attendance issues and create an improvement plan.

3. Attendance Contracts: An Attendance Contract, signed by the Guardian(s), may be implemented. The contract outlines the school’s expectations and consequences for continued Attendance issues.

4. Court Referral: Cases of continued Truancy and/or violation of an Attendance Contract may result in a referral to a FISD Truancy Facilitator. Consequences vary but can include court fines and participation in court ordered programs.

What Can Parents Do?

Here are some steps parents can take to ensure their child stays in compliance with attendance laws:

· Notification: If your student is absent or misses part of a school day, submit an Absence Report Form online and provide supporting documentation. This includes submitting a doctor’s note when available. If a student plans to be absent more than three consecutive school days, contact the campus Data Clerk. https://schools.friscoisd.org/campus/elementary/boals/home

Communication: If your family is facing challenges that are affecting a student's attendance, contact the campus Assistant Principal.

· Routine: Help your students establish a regular school routine to ensure they are well-rested, prepared and motivated to attend school every day.

As parents, staying informed and proactive is the best way to support your child in meeting Attendance expectations. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the campus Assistant Principal.

Please use the link below to sign up in advance, each grade level lunch only allows for 6 students to have lunch visitors.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4BA4AB2DAAFCC43-lunch

School starts at 7:45 am and ends at 3:05 pm. Students may begin to be dropped off at 7:25 am. Tardies will be given to students who are not in their classrooms by 7:45 am.

Grade-level bins will be located outside, under our front walkway, to drop off forgotten items. These bins are checked every half hour beginning at 8:30 am. Lunches should be sent with your child every morning.

We are very excited to have three water bottle refill stations located in POD 2, POD 3 and across from the gym. Please remember to send a water bottle with your child each day to school. Please only send your child to school with water. Please do not send juice or soda.

• Please carefully watch the speed limit during school zone hours.

• Refrain from cell phone use while in school zones and carpool lanes during arrival and dismissal.

• To ensure the safety of our students, parents, and staff, all parents and students need to utilize the district designated crosswalks. All students need to be escorted by an adult across parking lots and carpool lanes during arrival and dismissal using the designated crosswalks.

As we continue to build a positive, collaborative learning environment, we are excited to implement Team Huddles this year! Every classroom in each grade level will have a designated color, such as red, yellow, orange, blue, or purple. Each Huddle group will represent a different characteristic of our 'Just Right' school-wide expectations:

R - Responsibility

I - Integrity

G - Gratitude

H - Have Respect for Self and Others

T - Tolerance

Once a month we will have a shortened Good Morning Boals, so that we can have one monthly Team Huddle meeting where groups will meet in a designated space and participate in collaborative activities that emphasize one of our school-wide expectation traits. This will occur on the last GMB each month. Team Huddles are encouraged, but not required, to dress up and represent their Team Huddle color on these days.

Sign up for Emergency Alerts

Frisco ISD utilizes a text messaging service on a limited basis to communicate timely information such as school closures/delays or campus emergencies. Opt-in by texting “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. This system is maintained separately from Remind, which some teachers and coaches use to text message students and parents.

Weather Procedures

School closures are sometimes necessary to ensure the safety of Frisco ISD students and staff. FISD makes a final decision about whether to open schools no later than 5:30 a.m. each school day. Frisco ISD will notify families via email and text. Parents and staff can subscribe to FISD text messages by texting “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. The District and campus websites will also be updated with alerts of school closures, as well as the District’s Facebook and X accounts. Learn more.

Students Need to Dress for the Weather

It’s getting colder, and students must dress accordingly to protect themselves from the elements. Due to drills, planned and unplanned, students may be required to move outdoors for a period of time and should have appropriate clothing available for such instances. Please be mindful of this as you send your students to school.

Smart Parenting in The Digital Age

Parents are invited to a virtual event: Katie Greer, an acclaimed Internet Safety Expert, leverages her extensive experience with law enforcement to educate families on safe digital practices. Understand current digital trends. Explore recent data on screen time, social media use and its impact on mental health. Learn key strategies to help your family.

When: January 29, 2025 6-7 PM CST

RSVP: Complete the RSVP form to receive the digital link

Reporting an Absence

All absences, excused and unexcused, count toward the state’s compulsory attendance law. When a student's attendance rate drops below 90%, the student may earn credit for the class or a final grade by completing a plan approved by the principal. All absences can easily be submitted in the form at the top of our campus website. Learn more about the attendance policy.

Calendars on the District Website

The Frisco ISD calendar section has numerous functionalities. You can customize your calendar to include only the district calendars that are applicable to you before printing, subscribing or syncing to your Outlook.

Help Students Succeed: Donate School Supplies
We're still collecting school supply donations for the upcoming year. It's never too late to help a student in need! Donate Online

Crosswalk Safety

Keeping students safe on their journey to and from school takes all members of the community working together. Please watch this video with your student and discuss the critical role of the driver and the pedestrian in ensuring all students travel safely through the community.

We’re Here for Your Family

Our campus has a school support specialist ready to provide personalized, hands-on support in securing assistance from community organizations or government agencies. Contact our campus counselor to initiate the process if you’d like help addressing needs related to mental health, food insecurity, medical and legal services, and much more.

1:1 Technology - The Basics

Elementary: Kindergarteners and 1st graders use iPads. 2nd-5th graders use Chromebooks at a 1:1 ratio but don't take them home.

Reminder: Your Child's Lunch Account and Meal Options

Every student in our district has a lunch account, whether you’ve set one up or not. Our charge policy ensures that no child goes without a meal - if your child chooses a school lunch, the charge will be applied to their account, per the charge policy. Our goal is to ensure that every child is well-fed.

It’s time to load lunch accounts! Breakfast is $2 for all students, while lunch is $2.75 for elementary students. Families with low incomes are encouraged to apply for free and reduced meal benefits. Visit www.schoolcafe.com/FriscoISD to create a café account, view menus, make payments, apply for free and reduced meals, and set purchase restrictions. For more information, please check out School Café or visit our child nutrition website. We’re here to help!

Get a Background Check and Explore Volunteer Opportunities

FISD Board Policy requires each volunteer, chaperone, and mentor to undergo a background check annually before working with students. To work with students on campus, you must create a VOLY account by visiting https://friscoisd.voly.org.

Check Out the Community Folder

The community folder on the District website contains information about goods and services that may interest the FISD community. You can find everything from discounts on kids’ camps to volunteer opportunities.

Access the Elementary Curriculum Outline

Frisco ISD parents can access the curriculum outline and pacing guides used Districtwide for each grade level. District educators create and revise the curriculum outlines each year which is rooted in the statewide curriculum standards provided by the Texas Education Agency called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

Campus Multi-Tiered System of Support

Our campus has several supports in place to ensure each student receives personalized attention and assistance to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. The comprehensive MTSS webpage has resources to empower staff and parents with valuable information about the different tiers of support to enhance collaboration between schools and families.

We Love Our SRO

Frisco ISD has a long-standing partnership with local police departments to ensure students can focus on their studies in a safe environment. At Boals Elementary we are thankful for Student Resource Officer William Lo. Officer Lo serves our campus through the Frisco Police Department

Report Concerns with STOPit

Students and parents can report incidents of bullying or harassment online using our District’s anonymous reporting system called STOPit. FISD collaborates with the City of Frisco, City of McKinney, Town of Little Elm, and the City of Plano Police and Fire/EMS to keep our schools safe. By submitting a report, campus administrators receive a notification regarding student and parent concerns.

FISD Takes All Threats Seriously

When students make a threat to a campus, even via social media, the District and campus move quickly to address them. Watch Frisco Police discuss why words matter.

Parents are encouraged to remind children that while they may be “joking” about having a weapon or threatening harm to a school campus, the punishment by law is, at minimum, a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail. The punishment can be as severe as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to $10,000 and two to 10 years in prison.

Frisco ISD supports the Frisco Police Department's full prosecution of any individual who threatens harm to our students, staff, and campuses.

• Texas Penal Code 22.07 Terroristic Threat

• Texas Education Code 37.125 Exhibition, use, or threat of exhibition or use of firearms

Reminder: Your Words Matter

Frisco ISD collaborates with local police to keep schools safe. We urge parents to remind their children that words matter and can have serious consequences. https://youtu.be/aEY6FaSC6EE

Gold Cards for Senior Citizens

The Gold Card allows those who are age 60 and older and live within the FISD enrollment boundaries to get free admission to most District athletic and fine arts events. The 2024-25 Gold Cards can be picked up at the FISD Athletic Office (7210 Stadium Lane). A picture ID with a home address must be shown in order to receive a Gold Card.

Preventing Sports Injuries

Frisco ISD is pleased to continue its affiliation with Children’s Health for the third consecutive year. Click here to find helpful tips from the Children’s Health Andrews Institute regarding preventing sports injuries.

FISD is Hiring

Email: boals@friscoisd.org
Website: schools.friscoisd.org/ES/boals
Location: 2035 Jaguar Drive Frisco, TX
Phone: 469-633-3300
X: @boals_frisco

Instagram:@BOALSELEMENTARY