Eagle News

Dear Houston Families,

I hope you are enjoying a safe, restful, and joyful summer. Although the new school year may still feel a little way off, our team is already preparing to welcome our students back for another wonderful year of learning, growth, and connection.

As we get ready for the upcoming school year, please make sure your child’s enrollment is complete. If your family previously planned to attend J. Houston but will no longer be attending, please notify the campus as soon as possible. Likewise, if you previously informed us that your child would not be returning but your plans have changed, please contact us so we can update our records.

Campus staff will begin assisting families with enrollment on Monday, July 27. Please note that district offices will be closed on Friday, July 31, and will reopen on Monday, August 3.

We also want families to be aware of an important after-school program update. Side by Side will no longer be offered at our campus. ACE will be our after-school program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Space is limited, so families who are interested are encouraged to apply as soon as registration information becomes available.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We are grateful to serve your children and look forward to seeing our Eagles back on campus soon. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer, spend time together, read often, and stay safe.

With appreciation,

With appreciation,

Principal Tarpley

As we prepare for the transition into our new building next school year, we wanted to share a few important updates to campus systems and procedures. These changes are based on feedback gathered through Principal Coffees, CAC meetings, and family survey responses.

The following changes will be made:

1. To better support student behavior, routines, and learning on some of the most challenging days of the week, parent lunch visits will now take place Tuesday–Thursday only. This means parents will not be permitted to join students for lunch on Mondays or Fridays.

2. Additionally, due to the design and capacity of the cafeteria in the new building, family seating will be located outside only. Lunch visits will therefore be weather permitting, as rain, cold temperatures, or other weather conditions may impact outdoor seating availability.

3. We will also be adjusting our tardy time. Beginning next school year, students will be marked tardy at 8:00 AM instead of 8:05 AM. Breakfast in the classroom will continue to be served from 7:30–7:50 AM, with all breakfast items collected promptly at 7:50 to prepare for the start of instruction at 8:00. Arriving on time is incredibly important, as students who arrive late miss out on breakfast, morning meeting, social-emotional learning, and valuable instructional time at the start of the day.

As we continue preparing for the move into the new building, additional adjustments to systems and procedures may be made over the summer and communicated prior to the start of the school year.

Check out our new Instagram page where we celebrate all the wonderful things happening under our school's new leadership! JHouston_AustinISD

August

• August 14th Join the PTA and Meet the Community 2:00-2:30pm
• August 14th-Meet the Teacher 2:30-3:30 pm
• August 18th-First Day of School 🎉

As we work every day to ensure our campuses are safe havens for learning, we also want to support safety in our homes. Per House Bill 121, I want to share a quick reminder about the importance of safe gun storage. We know that practicing safe storage—keeping firearms unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition—is one of the most effective ways to prevent accidents and keep our children safe.

Under Texas law, it is a legal responsibility to ensure that firearms are not accessible to children. Making a firearm accessible to a minor can result in significant legal consequences, but more importantly, it can lead to preventable tragedies. I encourage everyone to take a moment this week to review your storage habits at home. For free resources, including tips on how to talk to your kids about gun safety or where to find free gun locks, please visit SafeGunStorageTexas.com. Let’s keep looking out for one another!

I am beyond grateful to do this work alongside such a dedicated team. Let’s keep that collaborative spirit going as we head into a great week!