The Walker Connection

Dear Walker Families,

What an incredible first three days of school! Walking through the halls, visiting classrooms, and seeing our school filled with bright smiles, laughter, and high energy has been pure joy.

Our students have jumped right into routines, built new friendships, and brought the absolute best positive energy to campus. Every hallway you walk down is a reminder of how special this community is—we are officially rooted in a strong foundation and already rising into a fantastic school year!

A HUGE thank you to our amazing parents and guardians for your support during morning drop-offs, afternoon dismissals, and helping your learners come prepared and excited each day. We could not do this without your partnership!

We have so much to look forward to this year, and this week was just the warm-up. Thank you for sharing your incredible children with us. Let’s keep this amazing momentum going!

Your Proud Principal,

Mrs. Gaines

To help ensure our first morning goes as smoothly as possible for everyone, please make note of the following arrival and departure procedures:

Morning Arrival:

• Doors will open at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria between 7:00 and 7:30.
• Students are in classrooms beginning at 7:30. The tardy bell rings at 7:40.
• Bikers and walkers enter through the main entrance.
• You may walk your student to class on the first day of school ONLY. Beginning on day two, a welcoming Walker staff member will assist students with finding their place.

Afternoon Dismissal:

• If you are changing your student's typical dismissal arrangement, the expectation is to call the front office before 2:30. Do not message the change to your child's teacher. Teachers are teaching bell to bell and often do not have the opportunity to see messages before the end of the day.
• After a full day of learning, the dismissal bell will ring at 3:05.
• Walkers will dismiss from door #10, which exits from the cafeteria. Bikers will be walked with a staff member from the front of the school to door #10 to dismiss. Walker and biker parents will wait at the black fence nearest the neighborhood.
• If you are picking up in a golf cart, hang back behind pedestrians in the grassy area behind the black fence to wait for your student.

If you are new to Walker, the following video is a helpful visual for arrival and dismissal procedures.

As always, please expect some late buses during the first two weeks of school. However, due to the significant amount of construction throughout our community, the limited on- and off-ramps to I-30, and the limited thoroughfares available to cross the district, you should anticipate that buses will experience delays throughout the entire school year.

Bus riders: you must have your ID badge to ride! Once your badge is issued to you, keep up with it. Replacement badges can be printed for $5.

For the first two weeks of school, any Pre-K through 2nd grade student who does not have an authorized adult present at the bus stop will be returned to their elementary campus.

For special education students who require a positive handoff, this procedure remains in effect throughout the entire school year, regardless of grade level. If no authorized adult is available, the student will be returned to their campus.

Our Dispatch team will make every effort to contact parents before a student is returned to campus. Even with those efforts, it is common for each elementary campus to have several returned students during the first week of school.

If you have questions about your student's bus route, please use the Stopfinder app. You can find a link to this app on the RCISD website.

Thank you again for your partnership and support as we work together to ensure a safe and successful start to the school year.

In the interest of simplifying things for parents who have students on multiple campuses, we are adopting a districtwide approach to dress up days for homecoming week and Red Ribbon week. Official graphics from the district are coming, but I wanted you to have this information now so you can plan ahead.

HOCO Info: August 31-September 4

A shared district graphic is coming soon!

School dress code must be followed at all times.

Monday

• 6-12: Dynamic Duos

• PK-5: Two-of-a-Kind (dress like a friend)

Tuesday

• 6-12: Country vs. Country Club

• PK-5: Hoco Rodeo (western dress)

Wednesday

• 6-12: Soccer Moms vs. BBQ Dads

• PK-5: Fans in the Stands (dress like your mom or dad cheering you on)

Thursday

• 6-12: Class Neon Color Wars

• PK-5: Future is Bright (neon colors)

Friday

• 6-12: Hoco School Spirit

• PK-5: Hoco School Spirit (Bulldog or campus colors)

Red Ribbon Week Info: October 26-30

A shared district graphic is coming soon!
School dress code must be followed at all times.

• Monday: Be a hero, stay drug-free! (Superhero Day)

• Tuesday: Stronger Together (Twin Day)

• Wednesday: Team Up Against Drugs (Jersey/Sports Tee Day)

• Thursday: Red-Y to Live Drug Free (Wear Red)

• Friday: Boot Out Drugs (Western Day)

As we kick off the year, please review two important updates regarding our cafeteria routines:

• No Third-Party Food Deliveries: To maintain campus security and prevent instructional and operational disruptions, food deliveries from services like DoorDash, UberEats, or Grubhub will not be accepted for students. Any orders delivered to the front office will be turned away. If your student forgets their lunch, they may pick up a standard meal in the cafeteria or receive a delivered lunch dropped off directly by a parent/guardian.

• Parent Lunch Visits Resume Soon: We love hosting family visitors! Parent lunch visits will officially begin on Monday, September 14th. This initial window gives our students time to master cafeteria routines, bond with peers, and adjust to their daily schedules.

Birthdays are special milestones, and we enjoy helping our students feel celebrated while also ensuring we maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all students.

If you are planning to send a special treat for your child’s class, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

🎂 Store-Bought Only:
For the safety of all students, especially those with food allergies, all birthday treats must be store-bought and in their original, unopened packaging. This allows us to review ingredient labels and identify potential allergens.

🚫 No Peanuts or Tree Nuts:
Please avoid sending treats that contain peanuts or tree nuts, including products with “may contain nuts” warnings.

🍪 Individually Wrapped Preferred:
Individually wrapped items are greatly appreciated as they make distribution easier and help minimize contact.

🏠 No Homemade Treats:
Unfortunately, homemade treats cannot be accepted due to allergy and safety concerns.

⭐ Non-Food Celebrations:
Consider non-food birthday treats such as pencils, erasers, stickers, bookmarks, or small books. These are wonderful ways to celebrate while allowing all students to participate.

🎈 No Balloons:
To ensure the safety and comfort of all students, balloons are not permitted on campus for birthday celebrations. Balloons can create distractions, safety concerns, and may impact students with allergies or sensitivities.

📅 Communicate with the Teacher:
Please coordinate with your child’s teacher at least 24–48 hours in advance if you plan to bring birthday treats. This allows teachers time to plan for the celebration and ensure it fits smoothly into the classroom schedule.

Thank you for helping us make birthday celebrations fun and safe for everyone!

All campus volunteers must complete a background check for the 2026-2027 school year. Please take a moment to complete the online form linked below.

8/27 - Camp Grady Spruce Family Information Meeting

9/10 - Back to School Night 5:00-6:30

9/1-9/4 - RCHS HOCO Week

9/7 - Labor Day Holiday

9/11 - Patriot Day/First Responders Day

9/14-9/18 - Celebrate Freedom Week

9/15-10/15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

9/15 - International Dot Day

9/16 - All-Pro Dads

9/21-9/22 - Student Holiday

9/25 - American Indian Heritage Day, Grandfriends Night 4:30-6:00