Kelso Parent Press

Happy December!!! Parents the first semester is almost over!!! We have 12 more days until the Holiday Break. This month is filled with more instructional requirements, social events, and holiday merriment. Your scholars will engage in 12 days of exciting activities. I am asking that everyone who will to participate in the festivities and join in the holiday spirit.

As we prepare to leave for the break, I want to wish all the Kelso families I wish you a season of love, joy, peace, and family. Please take this time to share priceless moments and make memories that will last a lifetime. One thing I have learned is that we can not take anything for granted. Happy Holidays and A Prosperous New Year to All!!!

Principal Shanda N. Walker

Family Winners

Two families have been blessed so far this month because their scholar's name was pulled from a list of scholars with perfect attendance for the week. Each week the names of the scholars who have perfect attendance are collected and one name is pulled to receive a $25.00 gift card to HEB. So far our winners are:

Neimar Garcia’s Family

Arturo Ochoa's Family

Justice Espree's Family

Nylah Jones Family

Congratulations parents for ensuring your scholar(s) are present every day. If they are not at school, they are not receiving the instruction their teachers have prepared for them. Help us bring our Attendance back to the way it used to be back in the day! Perfect Attendance is an honor, and we will reward both scholar and PARENT, because they can't get here without YOU!!!

HISD ATTENDANCE POLICY

• Any student served by the school district is considered enrolled in the district. A student must be in attendance for at least two hours to be considered present for one-half day and for at least four hours to be considered present for one full day. These time limits refer to instructional time, not including lunch, homeroom, passing periods, or other non-instructional time.
  
  Absences – School Notification

  
  

  Schools shall attempt to notify parents or guardians when a student has three absences.
  
  What to do if your child is absent or tardy

  
  

  Students who have been absent or tardy must present a written excuse from the parents or guardian when they return to school. Excuses for absences and tardies are:
  • personal illness
  • sickness or death in the family
  • quarantine
  • weather or road conditions making travel dangerous
  • participation in school activities with permission of the principal
  • juvenile court proceeding documented by a probation officer
  • approved college visitation
  • emergencies
  • or "any other cause acceptable to teacher, principal, or superintendent"
  Written excuses should be in the school's possession no later than three school days after the date of the absence or tardy. The three-day period begins with the day the student returns to school.
  

  Are tardies absences?

  
  

  Students must be present at least 35 minutes of the class period (or 60 minutes of a 90-minute class period) in order to be considered in attendance unless they are participating on a field trip or other activity approved by the principal.

  Unexcused tardies are not converted to unexcused absences. Tardies are a disciplinary issue.

  Making up work after being absent

  
  

  Students must be given the opportunity to make up work missed due to all absences. Reasonable time frames for the completion of assignments must be established. Please contact your child’s school for more information.
  
  Daily absence exemptions

  
  

  A student is absent if he is not actually in school at the time attendance is taken. This includes students who complete assignments at home unless the student qualifies for one of the following exemptions:
  
  • The student is participating in an activity which is approved by the local school board and is under the direction of a professional staff member of the school district or an adjunct staff member who:
    • has a minimum of a bachelor's degree; and
    • is eligible for participation in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
  • The student is a Medicaid-eligible child participating in the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Programs (EPSDT). Students may be excused for up to one day at a time without loss of daily attendance.
  • The student is observing religious holy days when it is required of their faith that they be absent from school.. A written request for the absence, in advance, is not required but is encouraged. A school district must excuse an absence to observe a religious holy day. Excused days for travel shall be limited to not more than one day for travel to and one day for travel from the site where the student will observe the holy days. The principal may elect to excuse additional travel days, but the student would be considered to be absent for the additional travel days for attendance accounting purposes. School districts are required to provide make-up work , along with adequate time to complete it, to students who have been excused to observe religious holy days.
  • The student is temporarily absent due to an appointment with a health care professional. A note from the health care professional is required to excuse the absence.
  • The student is participating in a mentorship approved by district personnel to serve as one or more of the advanced measures needed to complete the Distinguished Achievement Program.

If you would like to attend field trips with your scholar or just help out at Kelso, please go to www.houstonisd.org and apply on the VIPS website. The approval process takes at least two weeks so please give yourself enough time to complete the application and receive your approval. We would love to have you at Kelso.

Late Drop Off!

Parents in the attached handbook on page 3 the following information can be found:

Students will remain here until they are picked up by their teachers @7:25-7:30. Any student that arrives after 7:45 is deemed tardy and a PARENT must sign them in at the front office. Students will be given a tardy pass to class and a record of the tardy will be kept in Raptor for record keeping purposes. Students will be dismissed at 3:00 pm daily.

The bold and italicized part of the message is the focus of this point of clarity. Parents you MUST get out of your car and sign your scholar in if they are TARDY. All scholars are TARDY after 7:45 and they are ABSENT after 9:30.

Early Release

You will also find on this page notification concerning early release. Scholars may be picked up early daily until 2:00 p.m. After 2:00 p.m.:

No student will be dismissed early after 2:00 p.m. This is transition time for our scholars, and they are completing their instructional day.

If you need to pick your scholar up early due to an emergency, doctor's appt., dental appt. etc. please do so prior to 2:00 p.m.

December 1-December 15: PTA TOY DRIVE

December 6: 12 Days of Christmas Begins! (If students don't participate, they must wear their uniform)

December 12: Pictures with Santa

December 12-13: STAAR INTERIM ASSESSMENTS (Reading and Math 3rd-5th Grades)

December 13: Brighter Bites Distribution of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

December 13: Red Table Talk with Principal Walker

December 15: PTA Chick-Fil-A Fundraiser

December 19: Kelso Elementary Holiday Program 5:00 PM

December 20: After-School Program Winter Showcase

December 21: Last Day Before Winter Break

December 22-January 5: Winter Break