The Tartan Tribune

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Well.....we are winding down this crazy year of construction! There will be a MASSIVE push this summer to make sure the project is complete and we can start next school year in our brand new facilities. Due to this big push, there are some key things you should be aware of as we finish the school year and head into summer:

• The final week of school will have a different lunch menu/available items as our kitchen prepares for demo. Please see below!
• Library books are due a little earlier than usual as Ms. Eaves prepares to pack the temporary library up in anticipation of moving into our BRAND NEW library in the Fall!🥳
• Construction will be completely cutting power, water, and gas to the entire campus on Saturday, May 23rd.
• Due to this, our entire campus/complex will be closed and off-limits the entire summer. This INCLUDES our track and practice fields on the West side of the building.
• Nobody other than construction crews will be permitted on the property after May 22nd.
• Administration will be housed at TWHS Freshman campus the week of May 26 - June 5th.

• Administration will then be housed across the street at Glen Loch Elementary for the duration of the summer. The address to Glen Loch is:

• 27505 Glen Loch Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77381
• We will be working to transfer our current campus phone number over there to redirect calls to us while we are housed in those locations.

This summer will definitely be different! We will communicate new information or updates as they happen to keep families in the loop with any date or location changes throughout the summer. 😬😊

Due to our pending complete kitchen and serving line renovations scheduled to occur this Summer, our cafeteria will need to make changes to our menu for the last week of school. With all the coolers and freezers being replaced, they are trying to limit the amount of excess stores and supplies that we have as we conclude this school year. Due to this:

• The last week of school (May 18 - 22), the cafeteria will only offer reimbursable meals. No A La Cart items will be available during the last week of school.
• There will be some snacks and other items that will still be available, but only while supplies last.
• On Friday, May 22nd, students who purchase a school lunch will receive a sack lunch.
• Please see the menu for the last week of school below.

Parents,

Please be sure to pick up all medication in clinic by May 22nd! After that date, the building will be closed and inaccessible due to construction. Thank you!

As we do each year, McCullough will implement Stadium Entry–style procedures on the final two days of school, May 21 and May 22, to ensure the safety of all Highlanders.

• During this time, all bags—including backpacks, lunch kits, Lululemon bags, and purses—are strictly prohibited on campus.
• Any bags brought to school will be confiscated at the entrance, labeled with the student's name, and held for return at the end of the day.
• If you are bringing a lunch, it must be contained in a clear, Ziploc-style bag so that all contents are easily visible.
• We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a safe and focused environment for the conclusion of the school year!

If you are moving over summer and not returning to McCullough Junior High or The Woodlands High School for the 2027 school year, please contact the registrar. There are summer mover forms that need to be completed. Please contact our Registrar Nicole Valenzuela at your earliest convenience.

Nicole Valenzuela

Registrar/McCullough Junior High

nvalenzuela@conroeisd.net

832-592-5114

Yearbook distribution will be happening this Friday, 5/15, in the cafeteria during all lunches! It will run the same as last year.

Parents - All books are due to the library on May 8. On May 1, you will receive an email with a list of books your child has checked out so you can help locate them. If you have any questions about your child’s account, feel free to email Mrs. Eaves.

• If a book has been lost, the book can be paid for by bringing payment to the library or email ceaves@conroeisd.net to have the fee added to your child’s school cash account.
• All books need to be returned to the library no later than May 08
• Your child can check to see what books they have checked out by going to their SSO and choosing the app, Destiny Discover.
• Under My Stuff, it will show them what they have out, with a cover picture to refresh their memory if necessary.

Christina Augustine: (Current 7th rising to 8th Graders A - K) caugustine@conroeisd.net

Jana Goforth (Current 7th rising to 8th Graders L - Z) jgoforth@conroeisd.net

Amber Bentley (Current 6th rising to 7th A - K) abentley@conroeisd.net

Krystal Gibson (Current 6th rising to 7th L-Z) kngibson@conroeisd.net

Laura Willard, CISD Coordinator of College Career/Readiness, recently presented at our PTO meeting about students transitioning to High School. She offered great insight and advice for students transitioning to the next level, and we appreciate her taking time to come and present! Here is a link to her presentation:

The School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) was created to assist the District in ensuring that local community values and health issues are reflected in the District's health and physical education instruction. Please follow the link below for the application to be a part of the SHAC.

All 6 McC bands earned sweepstakes! Wind Ensemble performed on Friday and got 1’s from all 6 of their judges, wrapping up a very successful contest season for TWHS feeder. 💚❤️

On Monday, our 8th graders competed at the district golf tournament at Panorama Golf Club where both the boys and girls teams came in 1st place!

Individual medals went to

• Megan Tran who came in 1st place
• Lexie Lin who came in 2nd place
• Kanchi Joshi in 4th place
• Kate Willetts in 6th.

• For the boys:
• Fletcher Nylund came in 4th place
• Aiden Kim came in 6th.

On Tuesday, our 7th grade golfers competed at their final tournament at River Plantation where our boys took home gold medals for 1st place and girls got silver medals coming in 2nd.

• Eduardo Arechiga Ruelas came in 1st individually
• Eric Gao came in 2nd.

We are so proud of our golfers!

The TWHS Quarterback Club works closely with Coach Lilley and the coaches at McC to get information out to parents regarding the upcoming 2026 - 2027 football season.

They have created a google form to collect contact information from parents so they can share details on Highlander 101, practice gear, equipment day, and other important information to be sent out in preparation for the upcoming season. If your student is signed up to play football next year, please follow the corresponding links below to connect with the Quarterback Club! 🏈👏👏

Want to be a part of the National ranked Highlander swim & dive team?

• Late SWIM or DIVE Tryouts: August 3rd @ CISD Natatorium @ 3:00pm
• Email Coach Wade for more details: jlwade@conroeisd.net

Our camp will take place June 1st through June 4th and is designed to provide a fun, engaging environment where students can develop their basketball fundamentals, build confidence, and enjoy the game. We are offering two sessions to accommodate different age groups:

• Incoming 7th - 9th graders: 8:00 AM- 10:00 AM

• Incoming 2nd - 6th graders: 10:30 AM- 12:30 PM

UIL - No Pass / No Play - Texas UIL No Pass / No Play law states that grades will be checked every three weeks, except for within the first 6 weeks of the school year. In the event an athlete is not passing all classes at the end of the first 6 weeks (2nd progress report) he or she would not be allowed to participate for a minimum of 3 weeks starting Sept 26th. At the end of the first 9 weeks report card grading period, any student who had to sit out due to grades must now be passing ALL classes in order to participate again. This date will be Oct 16th. After Oct 16th, athletes will have another chance each 3 weeks. This law also applies to all UIL competition groups/teams.

Guiding Families Through a New Educational System

Iytzia supports families who are new to the district as they adjust to the U.S. school system. If you meet a family who may benefit from additional guidance, please consider referring them for a one-on-one meeting.

🌍 More Than a Language Barrier

Adjusting to a new country involves more than learning English. Many families experience culture shock, grief from leaving loved ones behind, and confusion about new academic expectations, graduation requirements, and school procedures. These changes can feel overwhelming without the right support.

👩‍🏫 Experience and Districtwide Support

With over 12 years of experience working closely with families, Iytzia now serves all district schools through the Jett Center. She connects with newly arrived families directly or through staff referrals to ensure they feel informed and supported.

📌 How She Can Help

• Provide clear, step-by-step guidance

• Clarify academic processes and expectations

• Offer cultural and emotional support during transition

📞 281-220-9527
✉️ icardenas@conroeisd.net

A simple referral can make a meaningful difference in helping families feel welcomed, understood, and confident in navigating our school system.

Since the front office is now "remote", there are some logistics, procedural, and safety protocols that we must adhere to. Here are some things you should be aware of in regard to procedures and operations:

• Student Sign In Process
• Parent must be present to sign in a student coming in late.
• If student is coming in late due to an appointment, please hand in an excuse note to the front office

• Student pick-up
• If you are checking out your student during the school day, keep in mind that it may take longer than it took previously. It will be a longer path for the office aides to go and retrieve your student, and subsequently for your student to make their way to the front office.
• Please send a signed note with your student to hand in to the Front Office Portable in the morning. The note will be exchanged for a yellow "Permit to Leave" pass. The student will show their teacher the pass and will meet you in the Front Office Portable at the designated time.

• Photo ID required to check out student – approved emergency contacts only

• Due to the logistics and potentially delayed process to retrieve your student
• The cut-off for early sign-out will now be at 3:15 pm instead of 3:30 pm.

• Please be aware, it can take 15-20 minutes to get a student from class depending on where they are in the building. Please factor this into your pickup time.

• You can choose to wait for your student in either the available chairs inside the portable or on the benches outside of the portable.

• Student Item Drop-off (Lunches)
• Student items or lunches may be dropped off in the front portable office, similar to how it was done in the Fall.
• There will be shelves in the portable office labeled with A, B, C, and D lunches.
• Student items MUST be labeled with the student's name and can be left on the lunch shelves in front office portable.
• NO 3rd party deliveries are allowed–This includes food, flowers, and/or gifts
• The student will NOT be notified of their lunch delivery, so if you are planning on bringing their lunch, please let your student know in advance.
• Lunches will be transported to a pick-up table for students in the cafeteria.
• Drinks need a screw top–NO fountain drinks/Starbucks/Giant Smoothies–they can cause a mess.

• Student Item Drop-off (Other items)
• For any other drop-offs (gym bags, items left behind, etc.), we will have a form for parents to fill out in the Front Office Portable
• A note will be sent to your student to come to the portable to retrieve the item.
• Please have your student's ID number ready when filling out the form to ensure accuracy and efficiency!

• Reporting an Absence
• If your student will be absent, please call 832-592-5111 to report the absence.

If you haven't already done so, please take some time to look through our construction newsletter. There are a lot(!) of changes happening at McCullough! I will update the newsletter regularly as things progress, logistics change, or any other important updates that may pop up. Be sure to read through it so you are aware of the changes and what is going on with our construction project!👷‍♂️

As we head into the last 9 weeks, we could really use some items to replenish our teacher treasure box! It got wiped out (specifically gift cards). We appreciate any donations!!!

• $5 - $10 gift cards to eating establishments, Amazon, Starbucks, Target, etc.
• Any other donations that teachers would really appreciate

If you are able to donate, please drop off your donations at the front office and let them know it is for the teacher treasure box! Thank you for your support!!❤💚

• Temporary badges are now being printed for students who do not have the IDs
• A $1 charge will be placed on the student's account for every temporary badge that is printed
• Replacement badges and lanyards can be purchased for the following amount:
• A $2 charge will be placed on the student's account for a replacement ID badge
• A $2 charge will be placed on the student's account for a replacement sleeve
• A $5 charge will be placed on the student's account for a replacement lanyard

Also, our "sleeves" for Smart Tags this year seem to be very, very flimsy. They break quite often, and we do not have the budget to replace all of the broken ones. We recommend finding a more heavy-duty option for your student. As long as you can clearly see the Smart Tag, and a lanyard can be attached, you should be good to go! See the link below for some ideas off of Amazon:

Clubs are officially getting started! Head over to our clubs website to see the available clubs, meeting times, and descriptions! Click the button below to get all the details!

Texas has passed a new law prohibiting cell phone usage in schools.
CISD has updated our cell phone policy to align with this new state law, and we will also be updating posters throughout the building. Below are the key details:

• Student Device Use:
  Students are not allowed to use personal electronic devices during the instructional school day, or “Bell to Bell.” This means that once the bell rings to dismiss students to their first class, devices must be put away. Students may use their devices again after the first afternoon announcement releasing car riders.

• Texas House Bill 1481:
  HB 1481 prohibits student use of personal electronic devices—including cell phones, personal iPads, and similar items—during instructional time. CISD’s School Board has adopted a policy extending this to cover the entire school day. Devices must remain off and put away from the time students are dismissed to class in the morning until the final release bell. This applies in classrooms, hallways, and even during lunch.

Parents,

Friendly reminder about our dress code policy! For the most part we are doing great! Starting to see a few more "crop tops" showing bellies, though. Also some of the shorts/skirts are getting a little short. Please refer to "Scotty" below as a good visual of what should be covered! Thanks!

Thank you so much to those of you who have left ratings on how we are doing here at McCullough! Several teachers and staff have approached me about all the great things people are saying about their kiddo's experience here. It's great to have some fresh perspectives, especially since most of our previous feedback was from several years ago.

Thank you!❤💚❤💚

McCullough Junior High Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is a group of parents, family members, staff, and teachers who work together to enhance academic achievement and enrichment for all students.

McCullough Junior High 2025-26 PTO Memberships for Incoming 7th and 8th Graders are available now. If you'd like to get a head start on 2025-2026, please click on the link below to purchase your PTO Membership and support the faculty and staff at McCullough. Thank you for your support!

If you have concerns about your student's bus route related to pick-up or drop-off times, missed stops, number of students on the bus, etc. can be communicated directly to our transportation department utilizing the contact form linked below. Please click the "Transportation Contact Form" below if you have any concerns or questions about your students bus route.

• Free and Reduced Lunch Information
• Links to sign up for Free and Reduced lunch
• View school meals

Here are a few dates you'll want to put on your calendar for the beginning of the school year.

• More detailed information will be sent regarding each event as we get closer to them, but I wanted you to go ahead and have the dates on hand!
• Please know that some times may be tentative, and dates could change due to construction.
• I will BOLD dates when I add or update them to the list so you know they are new or current.

August 13 - First Day of School, MP1 begins

August 14 - Open House - 7th Grade 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

August 18 - Open House - 8th Grade 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

August 27 – School Pictures through History classes

August 28 – School Pictures through History classes

August 29 – MP1 1st 3 weeks ends

September 1 - School Holiday

September 2 - 1st day of MP1 2nd 3 weeks

September 4 - Progress Report Published

September 17 - Read for a Better Life

September 19 - End of MP1 2nd 3 weeks

September 22 - 1st day of MP1 3rd 3 weeks

September 25 - Progress Report Published

September 26 - Eligibility LOSE or GAIN at 2:35pm

October 1 - School Picture Retakes through all lunches

October 9 – MP1 Ends

October 10 – No School

October 13 - School Holiday

October 14 - Beginning of MP2

October 16 - Eligibility LOSE or GAIN at 2:35pm

October 16, 17 – Football Pictures

October 17 - Progress Report Published

October 20, 21, 22 - Girl Basketball Tryouts

October 21 - PSAT date for 8th graders

October 27 – October 31 - Red Ribbon Week

October 29, 30, 31 - Boys Basketball Tryouts

October 31 - Last day of MP2 1st 3 weeks

November 3 - No School

November 4 – No School

November 5 - Beginning of MP2 2nd 3 weeks

November 7 - Progress Report Published, GAIN eligibility at 2:35pm

November 17 - 21 Generation Texas Week

November 21 - Last day of grading period MP2 2nd 3 weeks

November 24 – 28 - Thanksgiving Holidays

December 1 - Beginning of MP2 3rd 3 weeks

December 4 - Progress Report Published

December 8 - Eligibility Gain at 2:35pm

December 16 – 19 - Midterm Exams

December 16 - 7th & 8th Period Exams

December 17 - 3rd & 4th Period Exams

December 18 - 5th & 6th Period Exams

December 19 - 1st & 2nd period Exams

December 19 – Early Release Day

December 19 – Last day of grading period MP2

December 19 - Jan 2 - Christmas Break

January 6 - Students Return

January 14 - Advanced Math Meeting for incoming 7th 6:00 p.m. Bock

January 19 – Holiday

January 21 – Rising 8th grade Parent Information Night 6:00 p.m. Bock

January 27-28 - Spring Pictures through History

January 27-28 – Rising 7th Grade Parent Information Night 6:00 pm Bock

February 5 - Cheer Parent Tryout Meeting–Mandatory 6:00 p.m.

February 10 – Athletic & Elective Night 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

February 13 – Student Holiday

February 16 – Holiday

March 2 – 5 – Cheer Tryout Clinic,

March 5 - Cheer Tryouts

March 9-13 - Spring Break

March 16 - Highland Girl Parent Tryout Meeting 6 p.m.

March 17 - 20 & 23 - 27 – Highland Girl Clinic

March 28 - Highland Girl Tryout

April 2 - Spring Fling

April 3 - Holiday

April 6 - Student Holiday

April 9 - 7th ELA STAAR

April 10 - 8th ELA STAAR

April 13 –Color Guard Tryout Meeting 6:30 p.m.

April 13-14 - ELA STAAR Make-Ups

April 15 - 8th Social Studies STAAR

April 16 - 8th Science STAAR

April 17 & 20 - SS/Sci STAAR Make-Ups

April 22 - 7th Math STAAR

April 23 - 8th Math STAAR

April 20 - 23 – Color Guard Tryout Clinic (tryouts 4/23)

April 24 & 27 - Math STAAR Make-Ups

May 19 - 7th & 8th exams

May 20 - 3rd & 4th exams

May 21 - 5th & 6th exams

May 22 - 1st & 2nd exams

May 22 – Last Day (Early Release Day)

May 27 - Highlander Heads Up @ 2:30 pm and 5:00 pm

May 28 - Highlander Heads Up @ 9:00 am

Main Office.....................................832.592.5100

24-hour Attendance Line...............832.592.5111

McCullough Fax.............................832.592.5116

Clinic...............................................832.592.5122

Clinic Fax........................................832.592.5127

Counselor's Office..........................832.592.5194

Registrar..........................................832.592.5114