JNE'S Friday Newsletter
'The Night Before the First Day of School' Edition
JNE's Weekly Campus Update
Principal's Message
Dear Longhorn Families,
We are so excited to welcome our students back tomorrow for the first week of school! It’s going to be a fantastic year, and we can’t wait to see all of our Longhorns learning, growing, and thriving together.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for our Meet the Teacher event on Friday — the turnout was wonderful, and the smiles, hugs, and excitement in the building reminded us just how special our Longhorn community is.
Virtual Parent Information Meeting: Lost Lake/ Travis Walker Updates – Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.
Tomorrow, we will host a virtual parent meeting to review our change from Lost Lake Walkers to Green Harvest Walkers. This will be a short meeting to walk through the new process and answer any questions you may have.
📅 Date: Monday, August 11
⏰ Time: 11:30 a.m.
📍 TEAMS LINK: Virtual Dismissal Meeting Link
Thank you for exercising caution during our arrival and dismissal times. As a reminder, use of a wireless communication device is prohibited in a school zone unless the driver is using a hands-free device or the vehicle is stopped, according to Texas Transportation Code. Statewide, drivers face $200 tickets if caught using cell phones in school zones while the car is in motion
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, August 12th- First Day of School
Tuesday, August 12th- Yahoo/Boo Hoo PTO Breakfast: JNE Library from 7:30am-8:15am
Friday, August 22nd- First HERD Event of the Year! (Wear Your HERD Colors)
Week of August 25th- Lunch Visitors Begin
Items in our Newsletter Include:
- Campus Flyers
- Lunch Visitors Announcement
- Campus Reminders
- Attendance Information
- FBISD Whole Child Health
- Fort Bend Education Foundation Announcements
- Staff Contact Information
Thank you for your partnership in making this year’s start smooth and successful. We look forward to seeing your children tomorrow and working together for a fantastic year ahead!
Sincerely,
The JNE Admin Team
Reminders for the First Day of School
First Day of School:
We love sharing the excitement of a new year with our families! Parents may walk students to their classrooms on the first day of school – Tuesday, August 12th.
To help us keep traffic flowing and ensure everyone’s safety, please follow these guidelines:
- Parking: Families may park on our grass soccer field, located on the south side of the building.
- Walking to the Building: After parking, please walk to the sidewalk along Harvest Corner Drive. From there, you can safely cross the driveway with the assistance of JNE staff and our crossing guards to access our front doors.
- Safety Reminder: For everyone’s safety, please do not cross lanes of traffic in the parking lot or driveways. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep arrival safe for all students and families.
Starting Wednesday, August 13th, all students will enter the building independently. We will have additional staff on hand to help students find their way.
Dismissal Information
Dismissal: Students dismiss in various ways (walk, bike, car rider, daycare, and bus), so it is crucial that the dismissal is systematic and organized to ensure the safety of all involved. Parents will indicate a dismissal plan to the teacher at the beginning of the school year. To adequately prepare for dismissal, parents may not check students out of school after 3:00 pm. All students MUST be picked-up by 3:40 pm.
Dismissal takes a little longer the first few days, so please exercise patience as student safety will always be our number one priority. To have a more efficient dismissal, we ask that you help support our process to maintain safety.
Below are our previously created dismissal procedure videos.
While some dates and times may be outdated, the overall system remains the same. Please review the videos to refresh your understanding of our dismissal process before the first day of school.
CAR RIDER: https://www.wevideo.com/view/2762565855
UPDATED!--WALKER BIKER: https://www.wevideo.com/view/3858238538
BUS RIDER: https://www.wevideo.com/view/2757246549
EXT DAY/DAY CARE: https://www.wevideo.com/view/2762575989
SEVERE WEATHER: https://www.wevideo.com/view/3135744275
So that we can ensure all Longhorns dismiss the correct way starting on day 1, please complete this Microsoft form for the campus: 25-26 Campus Dismissal Link
Campus Flyers
2025-26 Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application and Income Survey
Please complete complete the 2025-26 Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application and Income Survey online at www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd. Your help ensures that every student has access to the resources they need to thrive.
Why It Matters
One application can make a big difference - not just for individual students, but also for your entire school community. By applying, families secure meal benefits for their student(s), support school funding, and may even qualify for additional benefits like reduced fees for testing or activities. Even if you are unsure whether you qualify, we strongly encourage you to apply. You may be eligible and not realize it.
What’s New This Year
- Free Meals for Qualifying Students: For the 2025-26 school year, students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals will receive both breakfast and lunch at no cost every school day.
- CEP Campuses: Students attending Fort Bend ISD’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) campuses will automatically receive free breakfast and lunch each day-no application required. However, we ask all CEP families to complete the Income Survey at www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd to help maintain vital funding and support.
Back to School Message from Superintendent Marc Smith
Student Activity Calendar
Lunch Visitor Sign Up
Lunch Visitors
Neill Elementary School will be closed to visitors at lunchtime until August 25th.
Each campus is asked to evaluate its room to accommodate visitors during lunch while providing student space. Once the year gets underway, we will communicate the JNE plan for lunchtime visitors. Please know that we enjoy our visitors, and we look forward to hosting lunchtime visitors in a safe and secure manner.
Lunch Times for the 2025-2026 School Year:
Kindergarten- 10:00am-10:35am
First Grade- 10:45am-11:20am
Second Grade- 11:20am-11:155am
Third Grade- 12:00pm-12:35pm
Fourth Grade- 1:15pm-1:50pm
Fifth Grade- 12:35pm-1:10pm
Dietary Restrictions through the Child Nutrition Department
The Child Nutrition Department can offer dietary accommodations for students at no extra cost for students or families when it is medically necessary. The request forms must be signed by a physician or recognized medical authority and submitted to the Child Nutrition Department by:
Fax: 281-634-1862 attn: Dietitian
OR by email: DLCNDSpecialDiet@fortbendisd.com
A new Request for Dietary Accommodations form does not need to be submitted each school year unless there are any changes.
District Diversity Calendar & Days of Fasting
Fort Bend ISD is happy to serve a community with families from all around the world. We are proud to be culturally diverse and celebrate our unique traits as a community of compassionate citizens.
We recognize that fasting practices occur throughout the calendar year. As a school community we are sensitive to and accommodate students and staff observers who express they are fasting.
If your family would like the campus to be aware of your student's wish to fast, please send an email to your child's classroom teacher so that we can be aware of any needs that may occur during an observance. Our partnership with our school community is important to us and we thank our families for their communication with the campus regarding special occasions and observances that may impact the instructional day.
Campus Reminders
Attendance Information
Neill Elementary School recognizes the value and importance of school attendance and encourages regular attendance to help our students be successful through the school year. Please email the attendance office within five days of the student’s recorded absence explaining the reason for the absence or the absence will be marked as unexcused. You may send an email to attendancejne@fortbendisd.gov.
Other Campus Announcements
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Become an UPLIFT Mentor for the 2025—26 School Year
Fort Bend ISD is looking for mentors for the 2025—26 school year!
If you are a member of our community or part of the FBISD staff and are interested in making a meaningful impact in a student’s life, we invite you to fill out the UPLIFT Mentor Interest Form.
What to expect:
- Meet with your mentee once a week for 30-45 minutes
- Read books and provide support at elementary level
- Provide support at secondary level
Questions? collaborativecommunities@fortbendisd.gov
Clinic Reminders
Clinic Reminders
Clothing reminders:
- We kindly ask that all families place a change of clothes for ALL students, as well as extra shoes for little ones– soiled, torn, accidents, spills etc. happen to everyone.
- Please consider to donating gently used black girls stretch pants in various sizes especially larger;
- Please consider to donating some gently used ELASTIC waist boy gym shorts and sweat pants (now that it is winter) in larger sizes
Health Reminders:
- If your child is ill – keep them home.
- Parents please medicate or treat for allergy symptoms at home.
Contact Reminders:
- Please make sure the clinic has the most up-to-date contact information for parents, guardians and emergency contacts.
- Please add the clinic phone number to your contact list so urgent phone calls do not come up as SPAM – 281-327-3768.
Birthday Treats
Birthday Treats
Students will be allowed to celebrate their birthday at the end of the day, by bringing individually packaged store-bought food products, provided by the parent or grandparent. Treats may be distributed to classmates on or near (i.e. bring treats on Monday when the birthdate was on a weekend) the student’s birthdate.
Prior to sending any treats, we ask that you contact your child’s teacher to discuss the date you will send treats. The nutritional label must be attached to your store-bought item. A parent or guardian must bring them into the building and fill out the proper form which is submitted to FBISD’s Child Nutrition office.
Parents or grandparents of a student at Neill may provide one birthday treat per child to share with the student’s homeroom class only. This may be in the form of ONE individually wrapped edible or ONE small tangible item (such as a pencil) with the value of the individual item not to exceed $5.00.
We require single serving items, which must be pre-packaged and individually wrapped, such as mini- cupcakes, cookies, brownies, or Krispy treats.
We respectfully request no cakes, drinks, balloons, flowers, donuts, stuffed animals, or goody bags. To preserve instructional time, additional party favors ARE NOT permitted. Birthday treat time is not a “party” but a simple, quick recognition of the child’s special day.
Please keep in mind that we have several students with food allergies. For this reason, products containing peanuts or manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts are prohibited. No nuts please, due to allergies.
Neill Elementary Parking Lot is a Hands- Free Zone as per Texas Transportation Code 545.425
FBISD Whole Child Health
Fort Bend Education Foundation Announcements
Staff Contact Information
Principal: Margaret Murphy
Margaret.Murphy@fortbendisd.gov
Assistant Principal: Felicia Holmes (Grades K, 1st, 4th)
Felicia.Holmes@fortbendisd.gov
Assistant Principal: Natacha Isaac-Bonaventure (Grades 2, 3, 5)
Executive Assistant: Vickie Zellers
Victoria.Zellers@fortbendisd.gov
Registrar: Jamie Fish
Front Office Receptionist: Michelle Munoz
Michelle.Munoz@fortbendisd.gov
Counselor: Janelle Moses (Grades K, 3, 4)
Counselor: Jordan Massey (Grades 1, 2, 5)
Campus Compliance Coordinator (Special Education, 504, STAAR): Bobbi Threatt
Roberta.Threatt@fortbendisd.gov
Nurse: Vesna Scarborough
James C. Neill Elementary School
Email: margaret.murphy@fortbendisd.gov
Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/jne
Location: 3830 Harvest Corner Drive, Richmond, TX, USA
Phone: 281-327-3760
Twitter: @JNE_Longhorns