Hutsell Herald
Volume 7, Issue 29 - March 29, 2026

A Message from Mrs. Smith
Happy Sunday, Hornet Families!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend enjoying this beautiful weather!
Thank you to all of the families who came out for Literacy Night last Thursday. It was a great evening, and we truly appreciate your support in making it such a success. We encourage all families to check in with your child’s teacher to stay updated on your little Hornet’s progress. Staying connected is key as we continue pushing toward the end of the year.
A special thank you to our 5th grade families who brought their students to the Science Academy this past Saturday. We are so glad our students had the opportunity to receive science enrichment and an extra boost as they prepare for the Science STAAR. For our 3rd–5th grade families, please continue encouraging your students to complete the STAAR Homework Challenge each night. Be sure to sign their homework log daily to help them stay on track and earn their rewards!
We are looking forward to a four-day week ahead. Please remember that this Friday and the following Monday are holidays, giving everyone a long four-day weekend. Thank you for your continued support and have a great week!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith
HORNET HAPPENINGS
- Mar 30: Art Club
- Mar 31: RDR meeting
- Mar 31: Choir Practice
- Apr 3-6: No School
- Apr 2: All Pro Dad Meeting
- Apr 7: Sewing Club
- Apr 9-13: STAAR ELA TESTS - CLOSED CAMPUS
- Apr 9: PTA Election Meeting
- Apr 11: Science Academy
- Apr 13: Art Club
- Apr 14: RDR meeting
- Apr 14: Choir Practice
- Apr 16: 2nd Grade Program
- Apr 17: Hutsell Volunteer Luncheon
- Apr 18: Take Me Fishing
- Apr 20: Sewing Club
- Apr 21: STAAR SCIENCE TEST - CLOSED CAMPUS
- Apr 23-27: STAAR MATH TESTS - CLOSED CAMPUS
- Apr 24: Kinder Walking Field Trip
- Apr 28: 4th Grade OLC Fishing Field Trip
- Apr 30: CAT Meeting
Hutsell families, as we approach STAAR testing for students in grades 3–5, we ask that you please remind your child to charge their Chromebook each night prior to testing.
Lunch Visitors
PLEASE READ PRIOR TO SIGNING UP:
IF YOU SIGN UP FOR A SPOT BUT ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE REMOVE YOUR SIGN-UP TO ALLOW FOR ANOTHER VISITOR TO TAKE YOUR SPOT.
- To ensure the cafeteria is not overcrowded, we will be limiting lunch visitors to 5 students per day per grade level (2 for PreK). It will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- On Fridays when the newsletter comes out, there will be a sign-up link for the following week for you to sign-up. There can only be two visitors per student per day, so please enter both visitor names into the comment box. Please be considerate of other families and limit your sign-ups to only one day a week (preferably one day each month) so that all families have the opportunity to enjoy lunch visits with their students.
- Lunch visitors are ONLY parents/step-parents/guardians/grandparents and non school-aged siblings. If someone other than a parent or guardian, i.e. stepparent or grandparent) is to have lunch with your child, the Parent Permission for Elementary Lunch Room Visitors must be completed prior to their attending. This form can be obtained from the front office or by requesting one from your child's teacher.
- Visitors should remain in the cafeteria during their child's lunch period.
- Visitors are to sit with their child at the visitor's table.
- Visitors may bring food for their children only.
- Visitors should not have any interactions with students other than their own children.
- Due to privacy issues, there are to be no photographs or video recordings made while in the cafeteria.
- Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up.
- Reminder, there can only be two visitors signed-up per student per day. Thank you!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B4EACAB2CA3F94-48020689-helunch
HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS
LETTERS FROM THE LIBRARY
We're excited for a new semester on our Reading Adventure. Be sure to encourage your students to read independently multiple times a week and log it in Beanstack to get prizes during their library lessons.
Mrs. Hancock and Ms. Davis
Library Staff
Hutsell Birthday Book Club
The Hutsell Elementary Birthday Book Club is a fun way to celebrate your child’s birthday and help our book collection grow! The library staff looks forward to sharing the excitement of your child’s birthday and other special events in this thoughtful way.
Here are the great things that happen when your child joins:
- Once you sign up, we will have him/her come to the library and select an unclaimed book from the shelves.
- Your child's photo will be added to our Birthday Book Club wall.
- A bookplate will be placed in the book indicating that it was donated in honor of your child's birthday.
- During the week of your child’s birthday, the donation will be recognized in morning announcements.
- Hutsell Elementary gets a new book for everyone to enjoy for years to come.
- If your child has a summer birthday, please consider choosing a date during the school year to honor him/her. A popular date is six months into the year (half-birthday).
If you and your child would like to participate in this program, please complete the form below and return it to the library with $15.00 (to assist with the cost of the book). We are cashless this year. All payments must be made on Pay N Go.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katelynn Hancock, our campus librarian.
Beanstack
We're so excited to launch Beanstack for this year's reading challenge! Use the link below as a quickstart guide for logging books through the Beanstack tile in MyKaty Cloud and through the Beanstack app for Apple and Android users. Watch the video to learn more about the student experience in Beanstack.
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
MUSIC'S NOTES
All things Hutsell Music and Choir
See the flyers below.
Music Information
Choir Donations
HEALTHY HORNET
PTA NEWS
JOIN PTA!
Please join PTA for the 2025-2026 school year! Your membership helps bring amazing programs to our students and staff throughout the school year. It also gets you awesome discounts at lots of businesses and companies and DOES NOT require you to volunteer, though we would love to see all of you around the school and at our family events!
If you have ideas or questions, please contact our president, Katelynn Hancock.
COMMUNITY EVENTS & PROGRAMS
2026 KATY ISD ELEMENTARY CAMPUS CLAP-OUTS
If your senior attended an elementary school other than Hutsell, you can use this list to find the date and time for their campus’ Senior Clap Out.
This list is updated frequently, so if you do not see a school listed yet, please continue checking back for updates.
IMPORTANT SCHOOL INFORMATION
School Clinic
Visit the clinic at school if:
You have a sudden fever or feel faint.
You have a bad headache or stomachache.
You get hurt (cut, scrape, bump, or sprain).
You have trouble breathing or an allergic reaction.
Stay home if you:
Have a fever (100.4°F / 38°C or higher).
Have been vomiting or had diarrhea in the last 24 hours.
Have a contagious illness (like flu, strep, or pink eye).
Mandated State Screenings
Click the PDF Links below for more information.
Attendance Matters
Attendance is key for student success. Every time your student is absent, he/she loses learning opportunities. One of our goals this year is to increase attendance and reduce tardies. Statistics show that students that show to school everyday have a greater chance of graduating high school and attend college. Please join us in our incentive program "Race to School" and help your student win the school reward and PBIS points for their house.
Hutsell Pay N Go
Scan the QR code or click the link below.
https://katyisd.revtrak.net/elementary-schools/elementary-a-h/hutsell-elementary/#/list
Arrival/Dismissal
Students are tardy if they arrive after 7:50am. If you arrive after 7:50am, you will be required to walk your child into the school and check them in using the iPad in the front office. Students are counted as a late pick-up after 3:25pm. Car rider tags will stop being recorded in the line at 3:25pm. If you are not in the line by 3:25pm, you will be required to come into the building to pick up your child and check them out using the iPad in the front office. Students arriving to school with time to spare have the luxury of settling in, greeting their teachers and classmates, completing morning work, and focusing their minds on the lessons to come. Students arriving late miss out on this natural transition period, and chronic tardiness may cause students to struggle with academic focus and relationships with peers. Showing up on time to school every day can help students develop the habit of being punctual, illustrates to them your commitment to their learning and friendships, and helps reduce classroom interruptions and distractions for all students.
Attendance Information
School starts at 7:50am
If you are here after that time, you must park and come inside to fill out the google doc before your student may come inside.
If you arrive after 9:15am for a reason that is unexcused, the student will receive an absence for the day, and you will receive the automated phone call from the district in the afternoon at 4:15pm.
Please send in any excuse notes within 5 days of the absence.
Please see the link below for all attendance rules and regulations: https://www.katyisd.org/Domain/3790
281-237-6508
Free Meals
Free Meals at Hutsell for Students
School Hours
7:25 am - Staff arrives
7:30 am - Doors open and students go to classrooms
7:43 am - First bell
7:50 am - Tardy bell
3:00 pm - Dismissal
3:25 pm - Staff leaves
Volunteer at Hutsell
Join our volunteer community by registering using the QR codes below. Required for all Katy ISD Volunteers
Hutsell Watch DOGS
The WATCH D.O.G.S. continues!
WATCH D.O.G.S. is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement, organizations in the country. In 1998, the very first WATCH D.O.G.S. program launched at Gene George Elementary in Springdale, AR. Today, more than 6,800 schools across the country have launched a WATCH D.O.G.S. program of their own. Each school year hundreds of thousands of fathers and father figures make a positive impact on millions of children by volunteering millions of hours in their local schools through this amazing one-of-a-kind program.
If you or another father figure in your family would like to sign-up, please fill out your information using this link: WATCH D.O.G.S. Sign Up You must also complete the district volunteer registration.
Order your t-shirt at dadsofgreatstudents.com. Shirt is required to volunteer.
Thank you for your support!
HUTSELL ELEMENTARY
Website: https://www.katyisd.org/HE
Location: 5360 Franz Road, Katy, TX, USA
Phone: (281)237-6500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HutsellElementary/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/officialhutsell
Administration Team
Shauntá Smith - Principal
Timothy Hurt - Student Support Principal
Brooke De La Garza - Assistant Principal
Rocio Sokol - Assistant Principal
Katherine Hodgins - Counselor