Buckalew Buzz

Buckalew Bears Motto:

"Today I choose to BE Kind, Work Hard, and Do My BEst!"

Our school hours are officially 8:00-3:10. Students may arrive as early as 7:30.

Email: contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Website: https://buckalew.conroeisd.net/
Location: 4909 Alden Bridge Dr, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 2814653400
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckalewCISD/

Instagram: @buckalewbears
Twitter: @buckalewbears

Buckalew Families,

Our staff would like to thank our PTO's Hospitality Committee for our delicious luncheon last Friday! We would also like to thank the same committee and our parent community who delivered cookies to our staff for an amazing cookie exchange. What a special treat!

It is hard to believe that we are 3 1/2 days away from our Winter Break! I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. Just a friendly reminder, this Friday December 15th is an early release day. Your student(s) will go home their normal way at 12:05 dismissal, if they are not signed out from their homeroom after their class holiday party Friday. Students will return to school January 3rd, 2024.

As we approach the holidays and gift-giving season, I just wanted to give a friendly reminder regarding cell phones and smart watches that has been published in our Buzz since October. At the October 17, 2023 CISD School Board Meeting, the trustees approved the PreK-6th Grade Cellphone and Smartwatch policy. The policy approved states:

● 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)

With that policy approved, our Buckalew staff will be teaching these expectations and reminding students that their cell phone and smart watches need to be in silent mode or powered off in their backpacks upon their return January 3rd. If your child has a smart watch or cell phone, you can help them by explaining the device expectations that are in place across our district. If you as a parent need to communicate to your child, we ask that you communicate through our front office or the homeroom teacher directly.

We have completed our 4th grade and 1st grade after school playdates, with our 2nd grade after school playdate taking place this Thursday. Thank you for your support! The students have had a blast hanging out with their grade level peers after school. See below for more information regarding 2nd, 3rd, and kindergarten playdates.

Last, we look forward to kicking off WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) Program in January. WATCH D.O.G.S.® is a national program to help provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by male presence, that education is important. On January 18 from 5:30 – 6:30 pm, we will have our 1st annual ‘Dads and Kids’ Pizza Night at Buckalew. Dads and their current Buckalew student(s) will meet in the school cafeteria at 5:30 pm for FREE pizza and drinks. At 6:00 pm, we will have an informational presentation about our WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) Program. Please see below for RSVP to this event.

Thank YOU for your support and for sharing your children with us. I hope you have a wonderful winter break ahead!

Mrs. Price

Thank you for your support in the recent election! Conroe ISD voters turned out to pass three of the four propositions in Bond 2023. The three propositions total $1.973 billion, 98.8% of the funds in Bond 2023, and will have a two-cent impact on the tax rate. Updates will be shared on social media, in Board Meetings and posted to conroeisd.net/bond. For Buckalew specifically, this means that we will have a gym addition, separate from our cafeteria. We are so excited! In addition to our very own gym, we will have critical infrastructure components/systems replaced. This includes: chillers, boilers, air handlers, roof sections, generator, electrical service equipment and freezer/cooler. The project is expected to be completed by August of 2025. Buckalew will also benefit from proposition B passing with the replacements of end-of-life ipads and chromebooks currently on campus. We are so excited about the great things to come!

COLD AND FLU SEASON

We are seeing an increase in Strep, Flu, fevers and stomach viruses at school. If you think your child may be ill or getting ill, keep them home. We want to keep everyone well for the Holiday Break and the best way is to keep your child home when ill and handwashing.

CISD ILLNESS POLICY:

If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher, he or she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. In addition, students with diarrhea or vomiting must stay home until he/she is diarrhea and vomiting free without diarrhea or vomiting-suppressing medications for at least 24 hours.

Let's keep our Buckalew Bears Healthy!

Nurse Alison

In the event you are moving or have recently moved, please email your new proof of residency document (i.e. a recent gas, water or electric bill / or your signed and dated lease or sales agreement) to legeorge@conroeisd.net. Please include the student's full name and homeroom teacher so his/her information can be updated.

Thank you,

Lindy George

Save your child's after school playdate "date" now! More information will be coming through room moms and specific grade levels as grade level dates approach, but save the date now. The PDF below has live links to pay in advance for playdates for each grade level, so you can also RSVP now!

This year, money raised by these after school playdates, go directly back to each grade level teams to decide how to utilize this money for the growth of our students. That comes in many forms from technology, classroom books, treasure box prizes, instructional materials, and all the things your child's teachers typically invest their own money or wait until there are opportunities to fund certain needs. Each grade level uses these playdate funds differently, but your children have a BLAST with their buddies in a structured fun, after school setting with the entire grade level.

These are always very highly attended and we will be asking for your RSVP 3 days in advance for the teams planning purposes. You can start now and secure your RSVP by logging into your school cash account via schoolcashonline.com

Download the Playdate Invitation here for each grade-specific link to schoolcashonline for your RSVP.

**Please pay close attention to homeroom teacher newsletters for class-specific events.**

December

12- Wear your favorite holiday attire to celebrate your family's cultural holiday tradition

13- Diamonds and Denim Day- dress in your sparkly or country attire best!

14- Joggers and/or Jammies day!

14- 2nd Grade After School Playdate

15- Wear your jingle bells for the Jingle Bell Jog and your favorite holiday shirt/outfit!

15- End of 2nd Quarter/Early Release 12:10

Dec16-Jan 2- Winter Break

January

3 - Students return to school from Winter Break

15 - MLK Day - NO SCHOOL

18- WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) Kick Off 5:30-6:30 (RSVP requested)

February

8 - KG After School Playdate.

16 - Inclement Weather Day - NO SCHOOL

19 - Presidents Day - NO SCHOOL

March

5 - Staff Development Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

11 - 15 Spring Break - NO SCHOOL

29- 1 April Easter Break - NO SCHOOL

The window is now open for parent nominations for GT Screening and will continue through December 15. Parents may nominate their student for Spring GT Testing by completing the District Nomination Form, available through any 3rd or 4th grade teacher, or by asking Nikki in the front office. If you would like a PDF copy of the form emailed to you, contact Mrs. Smith tonsmith@conroeisd.net. All second grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment in October. The CogAT assessment will serve as a GT screener for second grade students. Parents may now nominate one time per level of test. In other words, students may test once each school year to see if they meet district requirements and /or qualify in other subject areas. GT testing will be held at Buckalew during the school day the weeks of January 22 – 26 and January 29 - February 2. Nomination forms may be returned to your student’s 3rd and 4th grade teacher OR to Nikki in the front office. ALL NOMINATION forms are due NO LATER THAN December 15!

Happy ADHD Awareness Month

Parent Lunch Reservations will now be found on our Website. Parent lunch visitors are on a reservation basis. We simply don't have enough space to accommodate those without reservations.

Go to Lunch Reservations and find the green 'Parent Lunch Reservation' button on our Home page. It will take you through to Signup Genius from there.

Click Here to be redirected to our Website

If anyone other than a parent or guardian comes in to have lunch with a student, the Front Office will need a note from the parent/guardian giving permission for that person to have lunch with that child. Please either send a note in the back pack to the Front Office on the day OR email contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net.

At the October 17, 2023 CISD School Board Meeting, the trustees approved the PreK-6th Grade Cellphone and Smartwatch policy. The policy approved states:

● 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)

Currently Buckalew's Student Addendum states the following on Student Electronic Devices.

If a student brings an electronic device (cell phone, e-reader, smart watch, etc.) they bring them at their own risk. The school is not responsible for any damage, lost, or stolen electronic devices. The expectation is that electronic devices are powered off when students enter the building and stored in a backpack until they exit the building. Any communication between parent and student during the school day must go through the office or teacher.

Teachers will communicate with parents if there are times that personal electronic devices will be allowed to be used during classroom activities. Expectations for use will be communicated to students, and students will be monitored to ensure the devices are being used properly.

Students who do not comply with school procedures will have the device given to the assistant principal, who will contact the parent to discuss the concern and plans moving forward, and schedule a time for the device to be picked up. Please see CISD Student Handbook for further information on electronic devices.

If you would like to be added to the library volunteer e-mail sign up genius, please contact Jenny Bardoux, our Library Volunteer Coordinator at msbardoux@gmail.com and she will add you to our list.

If your student has a lost or damaged book from last year it was added to School Cash Online in May and you received an e-mail letting you know you have an item to purchase. The expectation is those lost/damaged books are paid for BEFORE checking out books this year. Feel free to bounce back with any questions!

Conroe ISD Library Services has enabled daily email notifications so you are informed of the items checked out by your student. Notifications for these daily messages can be managed in Parent Access Center (PAC). Please see instructions below to either enable or disable emails.

New lunch bunch groups for students will begin meeting the week of Jan. 22nd. Each group meets once a week for five weeks during students' lunch periods. The deadline to sign up for a group is Monday, Jan. 15th or when registration is full. For more information or to sign your child up for a group, please fill out the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejpE6ZYzW55vV4prL46UrlAlXD6Q2DIIC8xS4co2EYspmTSA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Welcome to the Counselor's Corner! I am Mrs. Points, your school counselor. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at kpoints@conroeisd.net. I look forward to working with your family. 😊

I am self-aware.

I can manage myself.

I am aware of others.

I can build relationships with others.

I can make responsible decisions.

December Caring

January Wisdom

February Kindness

March Forgiveness

April Perseverance

May Citizenship

Thank you for a successful Generation Texas week! It is important to the overall development of our children to begin exploring their interests and natural talents. Conroe ISD would like to continue this focus with the following event:

College Readiness K-6: Exploring Opportunities

Please consider joining the Buckalew PTO! Memberships and yard signs are currently available for purchase on the Buckalew Spirit store at https://buckalewbearspto.com.

December PTO Meeting: Friday, January 5th · 11:30 AM · Buckalew Library

Thank you to all of our Buckalew family and friends who supported our Boosterthon Fun Run! Proceeds from the fundraiser support the PTO’s budget, which helps our school in many ways. PTO funds are used to pay for field trips, Dreambox, grade level instructional supplies, playgrounds, counseling resources, technology, campus morale, staff development, campus updates, teacher luncheons, and school beautification. As the fundraiser exceeded our goal, we are able to make a few additional purchases for Buckalew. At the December 1 PTO meeting, we approved the purchase of 4 new water bottle filling stations, solar eclipse viewing glasses for students to use this Spring, 2 new microwaves for the teacher’s lounge, and extra school supplies for teachers to use if their classroom supplies run low. Thank you for supporting the Buckalew PTO!

It’s time to purchase the 2023-2024 Buckalew yearbook! Yearbooks will be 10% off until September 30, 2023.

New this year

-Parents have the option of purchasing either a hard copy or soft copy of the yearbook. You will be asked to choose your cover option during checkout.

-Parents can create two FREE custom pages that will print only in their child’s yearbook. Custom pages do not need to be completed at time of purchase.

-During checkout, the option to purchase a yearbook to donate will be present. Please consider purchasing a donation yearbook if possible!

To lock in the 10% discount price, please follow the directions above to purchase your yearbook using this link: https://web.treering.com/create-account/1016910708713746?PassCode=1016910708713746

Please direct any and all questions to Kristen Stocker or Kate Herring at buckalewyearbook2023@gmail.com

Hey, Buckalew families! Welcome back! There’s a super easy way to help our school earn money with our everyday spending. Kroger Rewards and Boxtops! It takes about 30 seconds and will donate directly to our school. Just download the Kroger app and the Boxtops app to start donating! Cheers to a great year ahead!

If you are interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities, please email BuckalewPTOVolunteers@gmail.com and let us know that you would like to be included on our volunteer list. You can also sign up using the QR code below.

The purpose of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is to:

(a) Promote the welfare of children at Buckalew

(b) To foster cooperation between parents and teachers in the education of children at Buckalew

(c) To unite school and community efforts in securing the best education for all children

(d) To engage in fundraising activities for the educational and recreational benefit of Buckalew, its children, teachers, and staff as determined by the PTO and in accordance with the PTO by-laws.

We ask EVERY PERSON entering Buckalew to be approved as a CISD volunteer. This is for the safety of all students, as a background check is carried out.

Click the button below to complete the form. You will need your drivers license number;

Please bring your ID with you each and every time you come to Buckalew. This is a safety layer that we check in all visitors.

Cookies are preferred birthday treats and must be store bought due to allergy, safety and sanitation concerns. Treats are served in the cafeteria during the students' lunch time and should be brought to school before 11am. No balloons, candles or deliveries.

Please email your homeroom teacher to check if there are any specific classroom allergies at least 1 school day beforehand.

Parents will need to register for Parent Access Center (PAC) account if their student(s) are new to Conroe ISD. Students previously enrolled in CISD will have an active PAC account. You can view your childs grades and other important information regularly. Instruction son how to register are below.

If you have difficulty accessing the PAC, please call CISD head office on 936 709 7752 or email helpdesk@conroeisd.net.

Students arriving after 8am are considered tardy. An adult must accompany the student into the Front Office to sign them in. Please do not leave the student to come into the building by themselves. This is a safety issue.

Students are considered absent if they arrive at school after 9am unless they have a note from a health care professional for an appointment on that day.

As we continue to monitor safety practices on campus regularly, we would like to ask for your assistance in this practice. On a daily basis, through Active Start in the mornings, recess during the day, and even during PE when outside, we have adults approaching our students through the fence line of Lakeside Park. We kindly ask that you refrain from engaging your child or other children through outside parameters of our gates and doors. It becomes confusing for students to know who they should or should not talk to from the fence line. It becomes difficult for staff monitoring to differentiate who are parents or strangers engaging the students as well. We kindly ask that after you drop your child off and say goodbye, that you do not interact with the students from the fence areas. We thank you for your assistance in reinforcing student safety, as it is a public park with a lot of traffic throughout the day.

Do you need to report an early release, an absence from school, or a transportation change? Print and fill out our Note to the Front Office found on our website. Click the green button labeled Note to the Front Office:-

CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED TO OUR WEBSITE

When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (281-465-3410) or email buckalewabsence@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.

Please remember that attendance is recorded at 9:00 a.m. each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 a.m. 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 will be out for an extended period, please let us know.

School hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. and students will be counted tardy if they are not in their classroom at that time.

State law requires that children miss no more than 10% (18 days) of the school year. Students that miss more than 18 days are subject to not be promoted to next grade level. The law goes on to state that it is the parent/guardian’s duty to monitor the student’s attendance and requires the student to attend school. It is important for students to remain in school until the close of each school day at 3:10 p.m. unless illness has caused a child to leave earlier.

Tardies

Instruction begins at 8:00 a.m. each day. Students that arrive at school between 8:01 a.m. and 8:59 a.m. are tardy.

Absences

State attendance is taken each day at 9:00 a.m. Students arriving after 9:00 a.m. will be marked absent for the day unless they have a signed note from a healthcare professional for an appointment that morning.

If your child is going to be absent, please contact the school attendance line at 281-465-3410 or send an email to buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net. Please state your child’s full name, grade, homeroom teacher, date or dates of absence, and reason for the absence.

Medical Appointment

If your child is arriving late or returning to school due to a medical appointment, please provide a health care provider’s note upon entering the school to ensure your student is not marked tardy or absent for the day. If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please do so no later than 2:30 p.m. The student will not be called from their classroom until you arrive at the school. Please plan accordingly.

We strive to dismiss all our students safely from our building. Please do not come to the Front Office at dismissal time to call your child from class. We cannot dismiss students directly from the classroom or in the hallway at dismissal time. Students will not be released after 2:30 p.m. from the Front Office.

If you are checking out your child prior to 2:30pm, please come into the Front Office and provide your identification. We will then call your child to meet you in the Front Office. Due to safety reasons, we cannot call your child to the Front Office unless you are here.

If you are checking your child out during specials or lunchtimes, please note that it may take a little longer to locate your child from their specials or lunch room and for us and them to get their back packs from their room. Please leave ample time for this if you have any appointments to attend.

We have an abundance of children and families who bike or walk to and from school. Many of your family members include your pets, joining you on your bike or walk to and from school. For your liability, and the safety of others, please refrain from bringing your dogs into the biker walker area beyond the posted signage. We have 2 signs in this area posted that should allow room for your dog, however, will prevent them from being in our most congested areas during arrival and dismissal. We have many children afraid of dogs, even though your dog may be friendly and well-mannered. We have also had dogs get into altercations with other dogs in front of this area and we kindly ask that if you choose to bring your dog, that they stay beyond the posted signs as you watch your child enter or exit our doors.

Thank you for your understanding.

If you have lost or need a new car rider sign, please email the following email address with your child(rens) full name, home room teacher and grade, we will send 2 copies home with your child:-

buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net

Active Start is a before school "free play" for students arriving at school from 7:30-7:45. Weather-permitting, students go to the k-2 playground prior to the start of school. Students arriving after 7:45 will go straight to homerooms.

Breakfast is served in our cafeteria from 7:30-7:55 daily. See below for menu. See fees below for both breakfast and lunch.

If anyone other than a parent/ guardian checking out a student from our campus, we will need a note, sent in with your child, in their backpack on that day or an email to buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net. If we do not have a note from a parent/guardian, the Front Office will call to get permission for your child to leave our campus.

The Emergency Card completed at the beginning of the school year is for us to be able to contact someone in a situation where we cannot get hold of a parent/guardian. It is not permission for those emergency contacts to check out a child, any time.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to keep our students safe whilst on our campus.

ALL Parents should have received 2 CAR RIDER/Dismissal Signs at Meet the teacher. These are used for safety precautions when we are dismissing more than 700 students. We thank you for keeping 1 sign in each car.

For KG ONLY: We are requiring Kindergarten parents only at Biker Walker to carry this sign with them to pick up their child at the biker walker doors. With our growing enrollment and various staff members on duty, it adds an extra layer to make sure we are connecting the correct kindergarten student with their care giver.

Take a photo of the sign? We have had several people ask if they can use a photo of this Dismissal Sign on their phone. The answer is YES! Feel free to take a picture to keep on your phone in case of transportation changes or loss of the sign, or emergency instances with severe weather. Please know that the original sign is IDEAL, as it is designed for those calling dismissal to be able to read. On a cell phone, that will slow down the line.

1. Bus rider (eligible if home is 1 mile or further from school) Bus routes are posted online on and you can check the link below in "what bus do I ride". You can also register your child for the bus by clicking the link below in the Buzz. You can also register for CISD SMART TAG

2. Car Rider Signs. The car rider line will be at the rear of the school and the bus line will be at the front of the school. ALL Parents should have received TWO car rider signs (yellow) at Meet the Teacher night. Please display the car rider sign in your front passenger window so our staff can read your card. See below to help you navigate our car rider line if you are new.

3. Day Care. Day care vehicles drop off and pick up students in the front of the school with the buses. If your child will not be riding the day care bus due to an early pick-up or transportation change, please notify the day care so they know your child will not be riding that day.

4. Biker/Walker. Kindergarten students must have a parent/guardian/designated adult present with the car rider sign at the Biker Walker doors (under the patio) at dismissal in order to walk or bike home. All other Biker Walkers will exit the school near the bike racks. All other biker/walkers are released at dismissal to ride or walk home independently.

On severe weather dismissal days, students will not walk or bike ride home. If your child is a biker/walker as your primary mode, then you will be a car rider on severe weather days. There is no rainy day dismissal.

We offer parents the courtesy of a drop table to deliver forgotten items, which is located in our Front Office. There are pens, paper and tape available for you to use to clearly identify items for your child to pick up. We will call the classrooms at 10am to inform all students of items on the drop table.

Please make sure lunches and birthday cookies are clearly labeled and brought into our school before 11:15am so that we can send them to the cafeteria on our lunch cart, for the allotted lunch times. We have limited staff available after this time.

We thank you for understanding.

To make transportation changes, please send a note in your child's backpack to the teacher OR email: buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net prior to 2pm with your childs full name, grade and homeroom teacher. Any changes submitted after 2pm will not be seen until the following school day.

Alternatively, please print the form to the Front Office below:-

We are working with our students on understanding the lunch-buying process. It can be quite confusing for our elementary students. We are currently speaking with our students and explaining to them, if they bring a lunch, they should eat their lunch before going through the line and purchasing an additional lunch. As we try and navigate each student through the lunch line, every child has a different need, and we never want to deny students from going through the lunch line. We encourage you to communicate with your child your expectations in either: eating the lunch you are providing/packing; buying extra lunch only and going through the line one time; or explaining that if they go through the line a second time, their account is charged again. We also encourage you to check your child's account, by going to the link below and you can check and monitor your child's purchase history, and if necessary put a limit on the account by contacting our cafeteria directly.

Breakfast

Student Breakfast $2.00

Student Reduced Breakfast $.0

Non-Student Breakfast/ 2nd Student Breakfast $3.30

Lunch

Student Lunch $3.20

Student Reduced Lunch $.40

Non-student Lunch/ 2nd Student Lunch $4.60

Entree $3.00

Milk $1.15

Fruit/ Vegetable/ Grain $1.75

A La Carte

• Extra entrees, extra sides, chips, cookies, etc. are all charged a la carte prices and are not included in the meal.
• For example, if a student gets a meal of chicken smackers, mashed potatoes, and milk, but wants an extra portion of chicken smackers, the extra portion is not considered a part of the meal and will be charged an additional $3.00.
• If a parent wishes to restrict a la carte purchases, please contact the Child Nutrition Office.

You may prepay by using My School Bucks. You will find a link to this service, lunch menus, and other helpful information by clicking on the child nutrition resource button below. If you would like to put a cap on your child's spending on your lunch account, then please notify our cafeteria manager by calling 281-465-3467.

Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker.

A friendly reminder to please label all of your child's belongings with first name and last initial or last name. **Water bottles, lunch boxes, hats, and especially outerwear such as hoodies/jackets/sweaters are all great things to label as these items tend to pile up quickly in the Lost and Found, which is located right outside of the gym. We really hope to reunite these lost items with their owners before the break!

If you have any additional questions, please contact gabinkwon84@gmail.com

PDF to help you navigate Buckalew-specific dates, procedures, and information. Please note that all information in the attached handbook is subject to change due to state and local policy updates.

We thank you for planning ahead. Please use this calendar for your planning purposes to maximize instructional days.