JNE'S Friday Newsletter

Dear Longhorn Families,

As we wrap up another great week at Neill, we want to thank our Longhorns and families for participating in our PTO's Penny Wars! It was fun to see our students get involved and contribute throughout the week. Thank you for helping make it a success!

As we head into next week, we have several important reminders for our families. Thursday, September 24, is an Early Release Day, with dismissal at 12:10 p.m. Friday, September 25, is a student holiday while our staff participates in professional development.

Next week we will also recognize Start With Hello Week, encouraging our Longhorns to reach out, include others, and help everyone feel connected and welcome at Neill. Be sure to check out the information below for activities planned throughout the week.

Families still have time to submit a referral for Gifted and Talented testing. Additional information about the referral process is available on the district’s GT Department webpage. You can apply through the GT Online Referral App: https://gt.fortbendisd.com/ We will also host a virtual parent information session about Gifted and Talented services on Tuesday, for any family interested in learning more.

Finally, it is time for our Fall Parent conferences. If you have not yet signed up for a conference, please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher to schedule a time.

As we head into another week, we also want to encourage all of our Longhorns to continue making safe choices as they travel to and from school. Whether walking, biking, riding a scooter, or traveling by car, please stay alert, slow down in busy areas, and look out for one another. Keeping our Longhorns safe is always a shared priority.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our Longhorns. We value the opportunity to work alongside our families throughout the year!

Upcoming Events

Week of September 21st- Start with Hello Week

Tuesday, September 22nd: Virtual Parent Session: Gifted and Talented Services

Wednesday, September 23rd- CPAC Meeting @ 4:00pm (in the library)

Thursday, September 24th- 'Turn It Gold' Childhood Cancer Awareness Day in FBISD

Thursday, September 24th- Early Release: Dismissal at 12:10pm

Thursday, September 24th- Parent/Teacher Conferences

Friday, September 25th- Student Holiday/ Staff Professional Development Day

Friday, October 2nd- JNE Pink Out Day

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

We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to another great week with our Longhorns!

Sincerely,

The JNE Admin Team

September's Counselor Corner Newsletter

Jr. Belles Flyer- NEW!

Attendance Matters

JNE Back to School Contacts Quick Reference Sheet

JNE Parent Arrival Guide

JNE's Clinic Welcome Packet

FBISD Medication Policy

Needs Assessment Survey

• The Needs Assessment Survey will be given to students in grades 3–5 this month.
• The Needs Assessment is a valuable tool that helps us identify campus-wide trends and areas of need. The data collected informs the planning and implementation of comprehensive school counseling initiatives designed to address the broader needs of our students and campuses rather than individual student concerns.
• Parents must opt in to the FBISD Survey through Skyward for their child to participate.
• To provide or update consent, log in to Skyward or complete the 2026 Needs Assessment Consent Form. If you have already given consent in Skyward, no further action is needed.
• For questions or more information, contact the school counselor Patricia Orji at patricia.orji@fortbendisd.gov or 281-327-3718.

The GT referral Window is open from August 11, 2026- September 30, 2026 (No exceptions)

You can only apply through the GT Online Referral App: https://gt.fortbendisd.com/

If you want to get familiarized with the GT Process, please feel free to review the website: https://www.fortbendisd.gov/departments/gifted-talented/referral-and-identification/fall-evaluation

To: Parents who are interested/undecided about referring their child for GT Screening (for students who are not identified as GT)

FBISD is hosting a Webinar: Should I Refer my Child for GT Screening?

WEBINAR : Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/296329183539837?p=VgIjQGxmeo5MC6ScIz

Student meals will be available for purchase this school year, but students who qualify may receive breakfast and lunch meals at little or no cost. As a reminder, meal prices will be as followed in the 2026-27 school year:

• Student Breakfast - $2.00
• Elementary Lunch - $2.75

Completing the Free and Reduced-Price Meal application may result in additional benefits for students and families, including reduced fees and tuition for Extended Learning programs, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, and athletics programs. Visit the FBISD Child Nutrition webpage to learn about additional benefits. Only one application needs to be completed for each household.

To apply, parents will need to have the following information:

• Names of all household members
• Amount, frequency and source of current income for each household member
• Last four digits of the parent’s or guardian’s social security number
• Signature of an adult household member attesting that the information provided is correct

Families may apply at any time during the school year, should their household circumstances change, including the loss of a job, a decrease in household income or an increase in household size. The District uses the following criteria to determine a family’s eligibility:

• Household income that is at or below the income eligibility levels,
• Households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation (FDPIR), or
• Children who are in foster care, homeless, a runaway, migrant farm worker or displaced by a declared disaster, or enrolled in Head Start.

We are happy to welcome parents and guardians to join their Longhorn for lunch! To help us provide an enjoyable visit for families while keeping our lunch schedule running smoothly, lunch visits are limited to 12 guests per lunch period.

Please keep these expectations in mind when signing up:

• One guest per student may attend.
• Guests may eat with their student only. Friends, classmates, or other students may not join the lunch visit.
• We strongly encourage families to limit visits to one time per week when possible so that other families have an opportunity to participate.
• Guests must sign up in advance using the weekly SignUpGenius.
• Please bring a photo ID, which is required to sign in as a campus visitor.

Limiting the number of guests each lunch period allows our team to efficiently complete the visitor check in process, give families plenty of time to enjoy lunch with their Longhorn, and have guests signed out before we welcome our next lunch group.

Lunch Visitor Sign Up:

Link to SignUpGenius

JNE will not host lunch visitors on Thursday, September 24th due to our early dismissal at 12:10pm. Lunch will be served to students on Thursday, prior to dismissal.

A new sign up for the upcoming week will be shared in each Friday newsletter.

Thank you for helping us keep lunch visits safe, organized, and enjoyable for our Longhorn families!

We are excited to welcome you for lunch with your Longhorn! Please review these reminders before your visit:

• Lunch guests will be signed in to visit the cafeteria only.

• Please arrive on time so you and your Longhorn can enjoy the full lunch period together.

• Guests must be listed as an approved family member and/or emergency contact in Skyward Family Access and must present a photo ID to enter campus.

• Lunch visits are for guests to enjoy time with their student only. Other students, including friends or classmates, may not join your lunch visit.

• Visitors may bring food for their child only.

• Families who need an allergy free seating area may leave a note in the comment section of the SignUpGenius.

• At the 5 minute remaining mark, guests will exit the cafeteria through the front doors. This allows students time to rejoin their class and helps us prepare to welcome our next lunch group.

• Lunch visitors may not be available on days with state testing, special events, or other campus activities that impact our regular lunch procedures.

Thank you for helping us keep lunch visits safe, organized, and enjoyable for everyone. We hope you enjoy this special time with your Longhorn!

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.

Link to Request Form

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.

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.

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.

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.

As you begin shopping for new school clothes, please refer to Fort Bend ISD Student Code of Conduct and refer to the dress code policy as dress code to make sure that clothes adhere to the district policy. FBISD website

Principal: Margaret Murphy

Margaret.Murphy@fortbendisd.gov

Assistant Principal: Felicia Holmes (Grades 1, 2, 5)

Felicia.Holmes@fortbendisd.gov

Assistant Principal: Natacha Isaac-Bonaventure (Grades K, 3, 4)

Natacha.Isaac@fortbendisd.gov

Executive Assistant: Vickie Zellers

Victoria.Zellers@fortbendisd.gov

Registrar: Jamie Fish

Jamie.Fish@fortbendisd.gov

Front Office Receptionist: Michelle Munoz

Michelle.Munoz@fortbendisd.gov

Counselor: Patricia Orji

Patricia.Orji@fortbendisd.gov

Campus Compliance Coordinator (Special Education, 504, STAAR): Bobbi Threatt

Roberta.Threatt@fortbendisd.gov

Nurse: Vesna Scarborough

Vesna.Scarborough@fortbendisd.gov

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