Grizzly Gazette

Happy September! What a way to start off the month... with a three-day weekend. I hope that you have had a great start to the school year. We are getting into a great routine at York JH, and we are very proud of your kids!

I wanted to acknowledge how proud I am of our students and staff. We have TWO huge honors to celebrate. First, we were awarded the "High Reliability Schools Certification" from the Marzano Group, which is a HUGE accomplishment for our school. Second, the Texas Education Agency awarded us as an "A" campus in the state of Texas. Again, two HUGE honors for us. Let's GO!

Lindsay Ardoin

• Sep.1: Labor Day
• Sep. 2: Drill Team Board Meeting in Library at 7 PM
• Sep. 4-5: Fall Pictures during History class
• Sep. 4: Virtual Open House (all videos from teachers uploaded at 6 PM)
• Sep. 6: Cross Country meet at 8 AM
• Sep. 6: Volleyball Tournament
• Sep. 10: Cheer Booster Meeting in Library at 6 PM
• Sep. 11: PTO Meeting at 9:30 AM
• Sep. 13: Cross Country meet at 8 AM
• Sep. 13: District Art Show 9AM-3PM
• Sep. 16: Chick Fil-A Spirit Day
• Sep. 16: CISD Board Meeting at 6 PM
• Sep. 17: Choir Social Event at 6:00 PM
• Sep. 17: YCC Meeting at 6 PM
• Sep. 20: GOHS Royal Pride Fall Dance Clinic
• Sep. 24: NJHS Meeting a 4:15 PM
• Sep. 25: Grizzlies for Greatness Awards (invitation only)
• Sep. 26: Cross Country meet at 4 PM
• Sep. 26: Tropical Smoothie Spirit Night
• Sep. 27: Theater Play Rehearsal at 10 AM
• Sep. 29-Oct. 3: Homecoming Week (more info to come!)
• Sep. 29: GOHS Homecoming Parade at 6 PM

Fall Picture Day is held on September 4-5, during your child's History class. To order online, access the picture day website here: WEBSITE The order code is 0064EKF

York JH PTO Spirit Wear and Family Sponsorships are available now! Support the PTO by purchasing your Grizzly spirit wear directly from us and becoming a PTO Family Sponsor! Family Sponsorships are an easy, hassle free way to donate to the PTO, with a few included perks! Deadline for spirit wear and family sponsorships is 9/15. All spirit wear and family sponsorship levels can be found here: https://yjhspiritwear.cheddarup.com/

York PTO has a few spirit night events coming up. Mark your calendars for Chick-Fil-A on September 16th. This is an all day spirit event! Orders in person, online and on the app will count. On September 26th, we are excited to partner up with the NEW Tropical Smoothie Cafe from 4-8pm for spirit night! For both events, we will post a code for app orders on our Facebook page closer to each event. If ordering in person, please make sure to always mention York PTO.

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!

Yorkapalooza 2025! This is an event for York JH students only on October 17th. Make sure to save the date so your student can attend this wildly popular and always fun event! Wristbands are available now for purchase. Most activities are included in the wristband purchase, but we will have concessions available for cash purchase and tickets to dunk teachers in the dunk tank are available for an additional cost! Purchase wristbands here: https://yorkapalooza-pre-sale-wristbands-copy-75034.cheddarup.com/. More details coming soon!

York JH Campus Improvement Project! We are excited to announce a Campus Improvement Project for York. We are looking to turn the outside atrium area, directly behind the cafeteria, into an outdoor multi-use space for our students. As you probably know, there is not a dedicated recess time at the junior high level. The students use lunch as a time to move around and we want to give them the opportunity to go outside into this area to move around and use some energy! We would be appreciative of any donations to get this area started. We will document progress on our Facebook page, so make sure to follow us to watch the progress of this area! See the attached flyer for what we'd like this area to be. Our SignUp Genius for donations can be found here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094CACAF2AA1FF2-58063108-thegrizzly

Parents of York JH Theatre Troupe students: There will be a UIL Play Parents’ Meeting on Thursday, September 4 at 6:30 PM in the Cafeteria.

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!

The Academy of Science and Technology (AST) will be hosting two information sessions September 16th and September 17th at College Park High School for families interested in potentially applying to AST for the Class of 2030. These sessions are identical, so it is not necessary to attend both. The information sessions begin with testing registration from 5:30pm-6:00pm, and will be followed by an informational presentation that begins at 6:00pm. Panels of students and parents will also speak that evening. We encourage you to take a look at our website prior to the sessions, but please attend if possible. Both students and parents should attend. Any student zoned to the College Park, Grand Oaks, Oak Ridge, or The Woodlands feeder zones are eligible to attend AST.

GOHS Theatre presents their first performance of the year- "Charlotte's Web!" The performance will be October 9-11 and tickets are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased here. CLICK HERE

The State of Texas passed Senate Bill 10 that requires the posting of the 10 Commandments in all classrooms. Even though lawsuits have been filed regarding the posting and an injunction has been issued for specific school districts we are required by law to post them. As of September 2, our classrooms will comply with law and have the 10 Commandments posted in all classrooms. We understand that this is a controversial topic for many. Please know that the teacher, school and district have no opinion on this topic. It is a law passed by the Texas 89th Legislature and signed by the Governor and we are required to comply. Thank you for your understanding.

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.
• At 4:15 PM, any remaining bus riders will be released to wait in the cafeteria.

During the first week of school, we will begin the process 10-15 minutes early!!! Plan accordingly. Additionally, please know this is a work in progress. We will make adjustments as needed.

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.