Houston Chronicles Vol 10

Hello Houston families!

We hope you’re doing well! As we enter another exciting week at Houston Elementary, we wanted to share some important reminders and updates.

School Hours Reminder: Our doors open at 7:40 AM each morning. To ensure a smooth start and keep all our students safe, please do not drop off children before this time. We appreciate your cooperation!

Attendance Matters: We’re excited to announce CONGRATULATIONS TO SECOND GRADE, who had the highest attendance and met our 98% goal! As the winners, Second Grade will enjoy a free dress day on Monday, September 23, 2024! Let’s see who our winners will be next week:

Exciting Events Ahead:

• Big Kahuna Fundraiser: Our Big Kahuna Fundraiser has started! Students can earn exciting prizes while selling and turning in their tickets. This is a great opportunity to support our school while having fun!

• Book Fair: Don’t miss the Book Fair from September 19-24, 2024, at the Houston Library. It’s a wonderful chance for students to discover new books and support our reading programs.

• Sister 2 Sister Interest Meeting: For our 3rd-5th grade girls, there will be an interest meeting for the Sister 2 Sister program on September 19. This program provides valuable mentorship and support, and we encourage all interested students to attend.

• My Brother’s Keeper Interest Meeting: For our 3rd-5th grade boys, the interest meeting for the My Brother’s Keeper program will take place on September 24. This program aims to offer guidance and build community among our male students.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in making Houston Elementary a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow. Here’s to a fantastic week ahead!

Warm regards,

Dr. Daberechi Okafor
Principal, Houston Elementary School

The Big Kahuna Fundraiser is a special event hosted by Houston Elementary to support our school and provide exciting incentives for our students. Each student will bring home a catalog featuring a variety of items for sale, including products and tickets for prizes. As students sell these items or collect ticket sales, they can earn rewards based on their efforts.

This fundraiser not only helps generate funds for school needs and activities but also motivates students with fun prizes and incentives. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together in support of our school while giving students a chance to engage in an enjoyable and rewarding activity.

If you have any questions about the items being sold or the specifics of the fundraiser, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office or refer to the information sent home with your child.

We had an incredible Movie Night at Houston Elementary, organized by our fantastic PTO! Our students enjoyed a delightful evening watching a great movie while munching on delicious pizza and indulging in some tasty treats. It was wonderful to see everyone come together, creating a fun and memorable experience for our school community.

We’re already looking forward to the next opportunity to join in on the fun, so stay tuned for more exciting events in the future!

My Brother’s Keeper is a nationwide initiative that aims to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential. 3th-5th grade boys will have the opportunity to learn and grow together as they grow as leaders and make an impact in the school and community!

Sister 2 Sister is a mentorship and empowerment program aimed at supporting young girls, in grades 3 through 5. This program focuses on providing a positive, nurturing environment where girls can build confidence, develop leadership skills, and form meaningful relationships with their peers and mentors!

Health Screening at Houston Elementary - November 6, 2024

Please be informed that Houston Elementary will conduct its annual Health Screening on November 6, 2024. This is an important day to ensure our students are healthy and ready to learn. This screening will be for specific grades, and more information from the nurse will be coming soon. Stay tuned for further details as the date approaches.

We met with our students today regarding our theme of Honor at ALL times, Exceed in ALL things and Serve ALL people! Please talk to your child about what this looks like in the Restroom, Hallways, Cafeteria and Hallway. We will select one student in each class that exemplifies this based on Dojo points and they will get a PIZZA PARTY!!

Our school day ends at 4:00 p.m. Parents, Van drivers, etc. will remain in cars during drop off and pick up. Early pickups will not be allowed Students will be identified by a unique pin number (Ex: Student ID) to pick up, etc. Parents will not be allowed to “walk-up” to the building to pick-up students. All walkers will be escorted by a member of the HES team to the cross walk to be dismissed. All other pick ups must be by car so please ensure that you pick up students promptly at dismissal time! Be sure you have your HES-issued hangtag for a safe and smooth process. After 4:30, late pickups will be in the office and parents must sign their child out. PLEASE REMEMBER: DO NOT PARK ON THE STREET TO DROP OFF AS YOU WILL RECEIVE A CITATION!

Students will not be released to individuals who are not on your documented contact list. For your child’s safety, pick-up tag will be required to pick up your child on the first day of school. Parents will be required to wait after dismissal is over if you do not have the Pick-Up tag.

All student meals will be eaten in the the cafeteria. Students must scan their student ID when going through the lunch line. Students receive free breakfast and lunch in Lancaster ISD. Visitors will not be allowed to eat in the cafeteria or classrooms with students. Outside food or beverage in a lunch bag will be allowed. Dropping off food from a restaurant, fast food, etc. is strictly prohibited.

This summer, our district met to review our safety and security protocols and emergency management procedures thoroughly. As a result of these meetings, several safety and security enhancements will take place this school year. One safety enhancement will require all Lancaster ISD students to carry a clear or mesh backpack. This decision is a preventive safety and security measure, and all students who attend Lancaster ISD must adhere to this requirement.

Backpacks must be clear or mesh, and students may carry a non-clear pouch no larger than 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches to hold personal items, such as cellphones, money, and hygiene products. Below is a list of retailers where the backpacks can be ordered.

Safety, Security and Dress Code Updates.

The safety and security of our students and staff have always been our top priority in Lancaster ISD, and we continuously strive to implement measures that enhance their well-being. After conducting a thorough review of safety measures and carefully considering the feedback from our board of trustees, district leadership team, campus principals, and the district's safety and security committee, we have updated our dress code policy to enhance our safety and security efforts throughout the district. These updates will be implemented during the upcoming school year.

The dress code updates include eliminating the option for students to wear hoodies and any outerwear with hoods inside any district campus or building, continuing required student uniforms and clear or mesh backpacks, and expanding the district-wide student ID badge requirement.

This change in dress code to eliminate hoodies aims to remove barriers that hinder the quick and accurate identification of students' faces. Hoodies, hooded sweatshirts, and other outerwear with hoods can obscure a student's face, making it challenging for staff to identify them properly. Removing the option for hoodies and similar outerwear to be worn inside of schools will ensure a clearer line of sight, enhance our ability to identify students promptly, especially during emergencies, and will contribute to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all students and staff within our campuses.

In addition to the dress code update, we will be implementing a district-wide student ID badge requirement for grades K-12. Student ID badges will facilitate student identification and ensure that only authorized individuals have access to our school facilities. Each campus will provide additional information regarding the ID badge distribution process. Furthermore, we will continue enforcing our clear or mesh backpack and school uniform requirements.

We understand that hoodies and outerwear with hoods are popular among our students. We want to clarify that this decision is not an attack on this specific clothing item. Instead, this dress code enhancement is a district-wide initiative aimed at proactively preventing any obstacles that may hinder our ability to identify students during campus emergencies. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. By working together, we can continue to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all students.

Please review the following information so that you are aware of the most recent updates to the student dress code for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

• All Lancaster ISD students have a district-wide uniform requirement

• All Lancaster ISD students must carry a clear or mesh backpack

• Student ID badges will be required for students K-12

• Hoodies or outerwear with hoods are no longer considered acceptable clothing items within Lancaster ISD and may not be worn inside any district campus or building. Articles of clothing falling within the unacceptable list include the following but are not limited to:

• Hooded sweatshirts with or without a zipper (hoodies)

• Hooded jackets

• Hooded sweaters

• Hooded coats

• Hooded windbreakers

• Hooded parkas

• Hooded raincoats

• Hooded fleeces

• Hooded vests

Please note that any outerwear or clothing item with an attached hood will be considered unacceptable according to the updated policy.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these changes, please do not hesitate to contact your child's school administration via our Let's Talk app under the dress code topic. We value your partnership and thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring campus safety.

In accordance with the Texas Education Code, Section 22.083, Lancaster ISD may obtain criminal history record information on an individual who has indicated, in writing, an intention to serve as a volunteer. Completion of the online volunteer registration will serve as a written intent to serve as a volunteer at a designated Lancaster ISD campus and a release to conduct a criminal background information check. Criminal information obtained is confidential and used only for the purpose of ensuring student safety.

The Lancaster Independent School District attendance policy will be followed for all students. Students are expected to attend class AND complete assigned tasks to demonstrate engagement in learning and mastery of concepts. Student attendance is MANDATORY as absences may result in denial of credit. Attendance will be taken daily in the TEAMS student data management system. Please review the district attendance policy outlined in the LISD Student Handbook by clicking here.

Order your School Spirit Shirt using the link and QR Code below!

We’d love to hear from you about Houston Elementary! Let us know what you think is working well and if there are areas where we could improve.

We’re also excited to start a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and would love for you to join us! The PTO helps with communication between home and school, organizes events, and supports our school activities. If you’re interested or want to know more, just let us know.

Your input and participation are really important to us. Let’s work together to make our school even better!

Please be aware, if your student is in need of immunizations they will not be able to attend school for the 2024-2025 school year. Please reach out to loricullum@lancasterisd.org if you have any questions. See your primary care physician or you can contact Dallas County Health & Human Services to make an appointment.