The Hoot Owl
DECEMBER 2022
Notes from the principal
We will also be having some fun along the way with winter/holiday festivities. We invite students to participate in the following days, if they wish.
Monday, December 5 - Light up the holidays - wear twinkly lights
Tuesday, December 6 - Wear your favorite holiday headwear - hats, headbands, etc...
Thursday, December 7 - Rock around the holidays - wear your favorite holiday attire
Tuesday, December 13 - Flannel/Plaid Day - wear flannel or plaid
Friday, December 16 - PJ day for the holidays
As always, when we are on break, we want to ensure that students continue reading. I shared these in November but wanted to repeat in December since we are out for a longer time for winter break. Keep your children in books over the holidays. Below are some questions to ask as they are reading.
Fiction questions:
Who is the main character?
What do you know about him/her? (internal and external characteristics such as blonde hair, calm, curious, etc...)
What is the setting in the book?
What is the problem?
How do you think they will solve the problem and read on to see if you are right?
Can you give me a 3-4 sentence summary of what you read today?
Non-fiction questions:
Show me some of the text features in the book. How do they support the text?
What is the main idea?
What are the details that support the main idea?
I want to take a moment to thank you for all the support our staff has received from you this first semester. We appreciate the partnership with parents and know that it takes all of us working together to grow our students. We look forward to a successful second semester doing the same!
Happy holidays to all!!!
ASSISTANCE NEEDED
NURSE'S NOTE
****IMPORTANT REMINDER****
Students CANNOT transport medication to and from school via the school bus or car rider line. Any medication that students need to take while at school must be brought to the clinic and checked in by an adult related to the child. Please do not send medication to school with your children.
If your child comes home in clothes from the clinic, we do ask that you please wash them and return them as soon as possible. We have a limited amount of "extra" clothing.
Thus, the Clinic is accepting donations of:
*new underwear for both boys and girls - all sizes
*gently worn clean clothes that your children have outgrown
LOST AND FOUND
We have a collection of lost items. Please have your children look through them if they have lost anything. Coach Rodriguez will have them out for students to look through over the next three weeks. Things not claimed by the end of January will be donated.
REGISTRAR REMINDERS
Also, if you have new neighbors that move in during the holidays and they have school aged children, share the link below with them so that they can start the registration process.
GIFTED AND TALENTED NOMINATIONS CLOSING SOON
Spring GT Testing Nominations
Nominations for Gifted and Talented testing will be accepted from October 3 - December 16. If you would like to nominate your child for GT testing, please fill out the following form and return it to Erin Anderson at eanderson@conroeisd.net. GT testing will take place at the end of January. (All 2nd graders are GT tested at the end of October. Please do not fill out forms for 2nd graders.)
YEARBOOK ORDERS
The cost will be $30 from now until December 30.
LUNCH RESERVATIONS
- Make a reservation online from our school webpage.
- Lunch visitors will need to present ID at the front desk to check into the building. You must also be on the child's contact list, meaning a parent or emergency contact. If not, parents will be contacted for permission prior to entrance.
- Parents will meet their children in the cafeteria, go to room 300 to enjoy lunch.
- At the end of lunch, return the child to their teacher in the cafeteria.
- Parents are asked to head to the front and check out immediately following lunch.
- Parents are not to be in classrooms or on the recess playground without prior permission from administration.
We look forward to having parents at lunch this year.
ATTENDANCE
We all know that if students are not at school, they are not learning. Of course, if your child is sick, they need to stay home, but if it is something minor and not contagious, please encourage your child to come to school.
Mrs. DeAlencar, parent liason, and Mrs. Hill, registrar, have started making contact with parents of students who are absent with no school contact. Please be understanding and patient when they call. Parents can also notify us through email at contactore@conroeisd.net or by calling our school at 832.592.5900.
There is also an automated call that goes out from the district when your child is absent even if you call in. It is just a security procedure in place to ensure that parents are aware their child is at home.
INFORMATION TO KNOW:
School hours: 8:00 - 3:10 p.m.
Doors open at 7:35 a.m. Please do not drop students off before that time as there is no supervision.
Students are tardy at 8:01 a.m.
Dismissal begins at 3:10 p.m.
Visitors on campus:
Things to know about visiting our campus.
*Arrive at the front door and ring the doorbell (facing the doors to your right)
*Let the front office staff know what your need.
*Once you have communicated with front office staff, you will be buzzed into the front vestibule.
*An ID will be required to enter the main part of the building or check a child out. Please make sure you have it with you as you will be sent to get it.
Volunteering on campus:
Please remember that in order to volunteer on campus (reading to a class, going on a field trip, helping with PTO, attending class parties, etc...), parents must have completed the Volunteer Background check for the district. This must be completed for every school where you will volunteer so if you have students at 3 different schools, you must complete it for all 3 schools.
TRANSPORTATION
CHANGES TO TRANSPORTATION -
if you need to change your child's transportation, it is best that you send a note to the teacher. Email and/or Class Dojo is not a great option in the event the teacher is absent from school.
We ask that you limit changes over the phone by calling the front office to emergencies only. These changes must be called into the front office no later than 2:30 p.m.
Early check out ends at 2:45 pm. After 2:45, you will be instructed to get in the car rider line.
CAR RIDER
Our car rider line is typically completed in about 20 minutes from start to finish.
Below is a map of our car rider line. We ask that parents who are coming north on the feeder road enter the car rider line from Oak Ridge School Road (between the hotel and Saltgrass). Parents who enter from our driveway will be forced to turn left and find the end of the line as the right turn lane will be blocked.
In order to help the line move quickly, please display your car rider sign where it is easily visible. If you do not have a car rider sign, you will be asked for an ID before your child will be released.
We do not allow parents to walk up to the porch for drop off or pick up for car riders. Students may not be dropped off in the parking lot nor near the playground fence and allowed to walk. This creates a safety concern and therefore, is not allowed.
If you are in the car rider line and picking up a sick child, please notify the lady walking the cars and she will direct you to park and walk up to get your child.
If you need replacement or additional car rider signs, please call the front office or email your request to contactore@conroeisd.net.
WALKERS
Students can be walkers only if they live in the no bus zone. This is for those who live within the 1 mile zone of the school according to transportation. If your child is eligible for bus service, they will need to either be a car rider or a bus rider.
We do monitor this and will notify parents if their children cannot be walkers.
Walkers are delivered to parents in the cul de sac at the fence cut through. We expect parents to be present to get their children from this area. If the weather forces you to drive your car to this location, we do ask that you carefully monitor all children to ensure that everyone arrives at their cars safely. Students who do not have parents present will be brought back to the school and parents will have to come over and get them.
Weather decisions are made at 3:00 p.m. and parents will be notified through Remind. Walker parents received an email with information on how to subscribe to that text message service. If you need assistance, please email us at contactore@conroeisd.net.
BUS RIDERS
If your child's bus is late, please watch your email for a notification from transportation called Bus Hub. This email should notify you of the approximate amount of delay.
FREE/REDUCED LUNCH
As offers come in from different organizations to assist students with back to school clothes/supplies, Christmas gifts, food, etc...only those families who are on free/reduced lunch will be eligible to receive these services. Please use the link below to update your application:
CALLING ALL GARDNERS OR GARDNER HELPERS...
DECEMBER DATES TO KNOW
15 - Holiday parties - see teacher for specific details
16 - Early release for the holidays
16 - Last day for GT nominations
19- January 3 - School holidays - Winter break
January 4 - Students return to class
DECEMBER STAFF BIRTHDAYS
18 - Sherry Kissner - first grade
24 - Mr. Raya - third grade
27 - Marijou Yruma - diagnostician
28 - Deanna Rogers - receptionist