Grizzly Gazette

Happy November!

My first two weeks at York as Interim Principal have been outstanding. Ms. Ardoin is recovering at home and doing well.

October is always a busy month with Red Ribbon Week, the end of football/volleyball/cross country, and our grand event - Yorkapalooza! Many thanks to our incredible PTO volunteers who made this such a special event for our kids. They had a blast. I wish all of you nothing but wonderful blessings and happiness as we get close to the Thanksgiving holidays.

Jill Houser

• Nov. 3 - Student Holiday
• Nov. 4 - Student Holiday
• Nov. 5 - OPDT Board Meeting
• Nov. 5-6 - 8th Grade Boys Basketball Tryouts
• Nov. 7 GOHS Varsity Football vs. CCHS at Woodforest
• Nov. 11 Cheer Booster Meeting 6:00 p.m.
• Nov. 13 - York PTO Meeting 9:30 a.m.
• Nov. 13 - Spring Creek BBQ Spirit Night
• Nov. 15 - UIL One Act Play Contest - Alice in Wonderland 1:00 p.m.
• Nov. 17 - 21 Generation Texas Week
• Nov. 19 - Band Winter Concert - 8th Grade GOHS
• Nov. 20 - Band Winter Concert - 7th Grade GOHS
• Nov. 20 - Boys Basketball 7th & 8th @ Lynn Lucas Middle School
• Nov. 20 - Girls Basketball 7th & 8th @ York JHS
• Nov. 21 - Boys Basketball 7th & 8th CE King Tournament @ CE King
• Nov. 24 - 28 - Thanksgiving Holiday

8th Grade High School 4-Year Plans!

8th Grade Parents, it's hard to believe but it is time to begin helping your child think about high school. Our amazing counseling team is ready to help. Please take a look at this important document for more information: 4-Year Plan

NIETOC and TFA Speech and Debate Tournament

Saturday, November 1

@Grand Oaks High School

The Woodlands College Park Middle School Classic Speech and Debate Tournament

Saturday, November 15
@The Woodlands High School

November 17-21, we’re celebrating Generation Texas (GenTX) Week at York Junior High! This statewide initiative encourages students to dream big about their futures and explore college, career, and military opportunities. Throughout the week, students will participate in activities that help them learn about different education and career paths, including how to start planning now for college and life after high school.

Families can join the fun by talking with students about their goals, interests, and future plans. Together, we can inspire every student to see that their future starts today!

Students are not permitted to receive food deliveries (such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc.) during the school day. This policy is in place for several important reasons:

• Safety and health concerns: We cannot verify ingredients or potential allergens in food items that are delivered.

• Identification issues: Deliveries often arrive under a parent’s first name and first letter of the last name, which makes it difficult for staff to determine which student the order belongs to.

• Logistical challenges: The front office can become very busy during the day, and sometimes a delivered lunch goes unnoticed until lunch blocks have already ended. At that point, we must call the student out of class to ensure they can eat, which means they are missing valuable instructional time and disrupting their learning. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to come to the front office to pick up their lunch. We have no way of knowing whether you’ve informed your student that a delivery was arranged for them that day.

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⚠️ To ensure consistency and fairness, our front office attempts a call home and keeps a record of any instances when this rule has been disregarded. We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe, organized, and productive environment for all students.

🥪 You are always welcome to drop off a meal directly to the front office with their name clearly labeled — you as parent bringing the lunch, or another entrusted family member/ friend.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Yorkapalooza 2025! This year's event was a great success. Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers - we could not have done this event without your help. Thank you to all of our Grizzly families who purchased wristbands and dunk tank tickets. A special shout out to The Wendy Ahmad Group for generously sponsoring BOTH photo booths at the event and to Comeaux Dental

🎅🏻 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗝𝗛 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝟭𝟮 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝟭𝟮 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸.

🎄𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟮 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺.

🎁 𝗧𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 $𝟭𝟬 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲! 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗧𝗢 𝗯𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟭𝘀𝘁!

THANK YOU for all of the donations for York's new Grizzly Den area. The students are continuing to use this area to move around and use some energy during lunch time! We still have a few items on our SignUp Genius if you'd like to donate: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094CACAF2AA1FF2-58063108-thegrizzly

Our next PTO Meeting is on November 13th. Join us at 9:30am in the library and see how you can help us make this another amazing year for all students, teachers and staff at York Junior High!

York PTO Spirit Night at Spring Creek BBQ is coming soon! Mark your calendars for the always fun spirit night at Spring Creek BBQ on November 13th from 5-9pm! Several York teachers and staff members will be there handing out rolls. This is always a great night out for Grizzly families!

We have a limited amount of York JH PTO Spirit Wear available in our inventory! Support the PTO by purchasing your Grizzly spirit wear directly from us: https://yjhspiritwear.cheddarup.com/

York JH PTO is currently looking for local businesses to partner with! We offer Community Sponsorships that offer great visibility to our community, while supporting the PTO. We have several different levels for our business partners. Please email fundraising@yorkpto.com or visit https://www.yorkpto.com/sponsors-and-fundraising to partner with us today!

Connect with us! We post frequently on our York Junior High PTO Facebook page. Make sure to give us a follow to stay in the loop: https://www.facebook.com/YorkPTO. We also have a website: www.yorkpto.com. Both are great sources of information!

During the 2025 fall semester, Conroe ISD’s Attendance Boundary Committee (ABC) will review attendance boundaries in preparation for the opening of Kacy Arnold Elementary and Grand Oaks Junior High. Kacy Arnold Elementary will be located at 5175 Woodson's Spring Dr., Spring, Texas, 77386, and is expected to open in August 2026. Grand Oaks Junior High will be located at 28075 Woodson's Grand Dr., Spring, Texas 77386, and is expected to open in August 2027. Grand Oaks High School Ninth Grade Campus will also be located at 28075 Woodson's Grand Dr., Spring, Texas, 77386, will have the same zoning as the senior campus, and is expected to open in January 2027.

For more information about the process, please visit the rezoning website.

The 2023 School Report Cards are now available.

Due to judicial proceedings involving the TEA, the release of the 2023 School Report Card was significantly delayed and is now available to view. You can view your student’s School Report Card by following the steps below. Please note that the information included reflects data from the 2022–2023 school year and may not reflect the most current rating for your campus in the 2023–2024 and 2024-2025 school years. Alongside our 2023 School Report Card, we encourage you to visit TXschools.gov to learn more about our school’s performance in the 2024-2025 school year.

How to Access:

1. Visit the link below.

2. Under the School Report Card section, expand 2022–2023.

3. Select your campus.

Campus Accountability Reports

Many of you may have heard that Governor Abbott signed a new law (HB 1481) that prohibits any child in a K-12 school to use their personal cell phone/electronic device during the day. Please note that this new law conflicts with what I told you at the York JH Parent Orientation and what is different from what I shared with your children at their Clark/Cox Pep Rally in May.

Texas House Bill 1481 says that student use of personal electronic devices, such as cell phones, personal iPad, smart watches, etc. is prohibited during instructional time. The CISD School Board has adopted a policy supporting HB 1481 stating electronic devices will be prohibited for the entire day. Electronics should be off and away for the entire school day. This means once school begins at 8:50 AM, their electronics must be shut off and put away. This is in the hallways, in the classrooms, and during lunch. The CISD School Board also discussed that campus consequences, such as confiscation of these devices, will occur if the child is not following directions.

I know this will be a big adjustment for some of our students and parents, but I believe we will see benefits in classroom engagement, interaction, and content retention. We will follow the state law and Board policy as written, but it will take support from you to help us. Please have conversations with your child NOW, so they are prepared for this new adjustment.

Additionally, your children's cell phones will stay with them during the day, they just have to be "away for the day." They may use them during dismissal time when school is over. They may also reach out to you (with permission), if an emergency arises.

• Students riding the bus will be dropped off in the back of the school. These students will then report to the cafeteria, if it is before 8:20 AM. If after 8:20 AM, they will go to HOMEROOM.
• Students riding their bike may LOCK their bike in front of campus, at the bike racks.
• Car Riders- please have patience and be nice to your neighbors. Use the "zipper" approach- one enters the front drive from the west side of Waterbend Cove, then the east side, and so forth and so on.
• Car Riders- we will allow "double stacking" of cars in both lanes to help more traffic flow on Waterbend Cove.
• Car Riders- follow the signage on the sidewalk and in the street. Pull all the way forward before dropping your child off from the passenger side.
• Car Riders- There will be several staff members outside to help you and TEACH you the "York Way." Most importantly, PULL ALL THE WAY UP, PAST THE FRONT DOOR, UNTIL ASKED TO STOP. The more cars we have pull all the way up, the more we are able to get kids out efficiently.
• Car Riders- Please pay attention to the county signs on the street that prohibit parking and pickup/drop off on Waterbend Cove. Police officers will be out there to provide citations to those who do not follow this rule.

• York JH dismisses at 4:05 PM.
• As soon as buses begin to arrive, bus riders are called from their last period class to load.
• Car riders, walkers, and bikers, will be released out the front doors closer to 4:00-4:05.
• Car Riders- follow the same procedure as arrival. Drive SLOWLY and look for your child. Pull all the way forward and allow your child to enter from the passenger side.
• Do not CUT or PASS others in order to move to the front of the line.
• Do NOT pickup your child on Waterbend Cove. All students are to be picked up near the front doors, next to the flag pole.
• At 4:15 PM, any remaining bus riders will be released to wait in the cafeteria.

CHARGING UPDATES

During the school year, we are limiting the amount of charges that a child can make on their account. After a child charges 15 days of meals, they will no longer be able to charge, and will NOT RECEIVE A LUNCH. Please make sure you are up to date on payments.

Breakfast Meal Prices

· Student Breakfast $2.00

· Student Reduced Breakfast $0

· Non-student Breakfast/2nd Student Breakfast $3.10

Lunch Meal Prices

· Student Lunch $3.20

· Student Reduced Lunch $0.00

· Non-student Lunch/2nd Student Lunch $4.70 (Teachers, Parents, Siblings)

My School Bucks

Beginning August 1, 2025, payments may be made online at https://www.myschoolbucks.com

Free and Reduced Meals

Parents can apply online for Free and Reduced meals NOW!! https://www.myschoolapps.com

Below is the list for the 25-26 school supply list. You'll find that supply lists are different at the junior high level, rather than elementary/intermediate. We ask that each family provide their child with supplies that they will keep and use throughout the year. Please buy what your child will be able to use and keep in their backpack. Second, we have a "donate" list to bring to campus. Many teachers will provide a supplemental list of supplies during the first week. The list below is a recommended list for junior high. Because times are tough for many of our families right now, the classroom supplies are optional. However, anything you are able to purchase will make a huge impact in the daily learning for your child. See the list below.

Some families have asked "what do we need?" Thanks to a tremendous outpouring from last year, we don't need much to get us started this year. However, we have added a few items to our Amazon Wish List to help us decorate campus, get our classrooms ready, and have some treats for teachers. Check out our wish list here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2IFZ2FR1EYVY4?ref_=wl_share

Starting in 7-12 grade, ALL students in CISD will be required to wear an ID badge. All students will be provided a new badge at the beginning of the school year. Any child who loses their badge during the school year and needs a replacement, will incur a $5 charge, which covers the badge, sleeve, and lanyard.

Interested to know if your child is eligible to ride the bus? Want to know how to register your child for the bus? Click the link above (Conroe ISD Transportation Information) to learn everything you need to know about CISD Transportation.

Transportation cannot change addresses for students. All student information is uploaded from campuses, and it is used to route our students. Parents, you will need to contact Shelita Hebert, Registrar, if needing to change your address. Once the campus makes the address change, it takes about 48 hours for Transportation to process the change.

Parents or guardians must submit an Alternate Stop Request Form each school year for service to an alternate stop. Students who are not eligible for transportation services may not be allowed to request or utilize an alternate stop. Parents can request an alternate stop when they request transportation for their child (register). They can do that at the following link: https://apps.conroeisd.net/AlternativeTransportation/

We do not offer transportation to students who live under a mile from the campus. Our one-mile measurement is made from the point at which the residence’s driveway meets the public road to the nearest point where any campus driveway meets the public roadway or where any pedestrian walkway (greenbelt) provides access onto campus property (through a gate or driveway). The distances are measured using the District’s dedicated school bus routing software and the Montgomery County Appraisal District (MCAD) maps to determine distances if necessary.