SVE Family Newsletter

7:30 am - Building Opens

7:55 am - Walker Gate closes

8:00 am - Car Line Staff come inside

8:05 am - Announcements

8:10 am - Tardy Bell

1:00 pm - Transportation Changes deadline

3:00 pm - Early Check Out deadline

3:40 pm - Dismissal

The Texas Education Agency recently updated state discipline laws to ensure consistent expectations across all campuses. Below are some key points for families:

State Discipline Highlights

• Teacher Authority: Teachers have the right to remove a student permanently from class if the student is unruly, disruptive, or abusive—even if the behavior occurs only once.

• Campus Behavior Coordinator (CBC): Every school has a designated administrator responsible for managing discipline and helping students improve their behavior through interventions such as behavior contracts, mentoring, or conflict-resolution support. The CBC for our campus is our Assistant Principal, Shannon Martinez.

• Parent Conferences: If a student is requested to be removed from class, a conference must be held within three school days to review the incident, discuss next steps, and outline a plan for the student's return to class.

• Disciplinary Options: Depending on the severity of the behavior, consequences may include In-School Suspension (ISS), Out-of-School Suspension (OSS), placement in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP), or expulsion.

• Special Education Protections: Students receiving special education or 504 services may have additional review processes to ensure disciplinary actions align with their individualized supports. However, they are General Education students first and must follow the student code of conduct. Failure to do so will still result in consequences when their and others' safety is being compromised.

In response to the new laws, Sun Valley Elementary will begin Blazer Growth Hour on Tuesdays, starting November 11.

This session serves as an intervention step before ISS or OSS, depending on the severity of the behavior. Students who are unable to stay for Blazer Growth Hour will be required to attend Saturday School with a parent. More information will be posted in the SWISD app.

We are seeing an increase in students making threats, often “as a joke.” Please remind your child that:

• All threats are taken seriously and require a Behavior Threat Assessment (BTA).

• The process includes interviews with the student, the target, witnesses, and parents.

• Any threat will result in at least one day of Out-of-School Suspension (OSS). There will be additional consequences based on the severity and nature of the threat.

• Students may not return to campus until all initial BTA questions are completed.

• This applies to all students, regardless of grade level.

• BTAs stay in the state-wide system until students are 24 years old.
  

Additionally, students may not draw or create items that resemble weapons out of any materials, including their hands. Doing so will result in at least one day of OSS.

💙💛 Blazers are Working Like an ‘A’ Campus! 💙💛

At Sun Valley, being an A Campus means we are focused, respectful, responsible, and always doing our best. 🌟 Please take a moment to talk with your child about what this looks like in attendance, grades, and behavior.

🚨 We’ve noticed a high number of absences on Mondays and Fridays and an average of 30 early check-outs per day.

⏰ Remember: Every Minute, Every Day Counts! If students are not here, they are not learning. Let’s keep blazing the trail with strong attendance and effort every single day! 🌞🔥

🌟 Blazer Morning Reminders! 🌟

💙 Staff goes inside at 8:00 am to begin their day.

🚗 If you arrive after 8:00 am, please park in the visitor parking (NOT the Emergency Lane) and walk your child inside to ensure they get in safely.
⏰ At 8:10 am, the tardy bell rings and instruction begins! If you arrive at or after 8:10, you’ll need to sign your child in at the front office.

Every minute matters—thank you for helping us start each Blazer’s day on time and ready to learn! 🌞📚

You MUST bring your ID to check out students or visit the campus. NO EXCEPTIONS (district safety policy); Passports are an acceptable proof of ID. Photos of your ID on your phone are not acceptable.

Anyone picking up a student MUST be listed as an EMERGENCY CONTACT in our system. Otherwise we WILL NOT release your student to them.

MORNING

• Building opens for students at 7:30 am. DO NOT drop off students before 7:30 am. There is no staff on duty to monitor students before this time.

• Walker gate closes at 7:55 am (if arriving at walker gate after, students will need to enter through the main office)

• Stay in your vehicle in the car line

• Car line staff come inside at 8:00 am

• Car line students need to exit out of the passenger side of the vehicle (for safety purposes)

• Tardy warning bell rings at 8:05 am

• Announcements begin at 8:05 am

• Tardy bell rings at 8:10 am

• After 8:00 am, please park in a visitor parking spot in front of the school and walk students in.

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES

• Transportation changes need to be made no later than 1:00 pm in order to ensure students are being sent home correctly. This should be minimal so that students have a consistent way of getting home. (for safety purposes)

AFTERNOON

• Dismissal begins at 3:35 pm.

• Download the "Here Comes the Bus" app to track the bus.

• If your student is a car rider, please stay in your vehicle. Staff will load students, however they will not strap them in. If you need to strap in a student, please pull up past the #1 loading zone, so we can continue to keep the car line moving.

• Stay in your vehicle.

• Students will be loaded on the passenger side.

• Walkers not picked up by 3:55 pm, are taken to the front office for late pick-up.

• We do not have staff available to monitor students after 4:00 pm. Please DO NOT be late picking students up.

Please:

• DO NOT park in the Emergency Lane
• DO NOT walk up to staff during dismissal to pick up students in the front of the school. We will not release them to you.
• DO NOT block the pedestrian crossing to drop off or pick up students
• DO NOT block the entrance/exit of the Valley Hi Church

***Be courteous AND do not cut in the line during drop off/pick up.***

12/1: Kinder MAP Reading Test

12/2: Kinder MAP Math Test

12/3: 1st Grade MAP Reading Test

12/4: 1st Grade MAP Math Test

12/5: 2nd Grade MAP Reading Test

12/5: English Spelling Bee

12/8: 2nd Grade MAP Math Test

12/9: G3-G5 Reading Common Assessment

12/10: G3-G5 Math Common Assessment

12/11: G5 Science Common Assessment

12/11: 5:00 pm PTA Meeting (Kinder/1st Grade Winter Performance)

12/12: November Attendance Incentive Celebration

12/12: 5th Grade Field Trip - Scobee MS Holiday Choir Performance)

12/19: 9:45 am PK Winter Performance

12/19: Class Parties

12/19: Early Release 2:40 pm

12/22-1/6: Student Holiday

1/7: School Resumes

Visitors to campuses are required to have their picture IDs available at all times. Parents will not be allowed entry past the front offices of each campus, nor will they be allowed to meet with or sign out a student without a picture ID. In case of parent emergencies, when someone other than the parent picks up a student, that individual must be listed on the approved emergency contact list AND have a valid picture ID. Phone or text verifications will not be accepted. To ensure the safety and well-being of all students, proper identification and parent permission granted on the emergency contact list are the only ways to prevent unauthorized individuals from picking up students.

We owe it to our children to prioritize attendance: It's what our children NEED and DESERVE! Attendance is the #1 predictor in academic achievement.

Monthly Attendance Incentive...Lunch with your student.

If your child has 100% attendance for the month (no tardies/no early check outs), you will receive a lunch pass for you to join your child for lunch.

• Guests MUST bring their ID to be scanned (District Policy)
• ID must clear in our system (if a guest is NOT cleared through the system, they will NOT be able to join the student for lunch)
• Limit 2 guests
• During your child's regular scheduled lunch time (see times below 👇 )
• Select any Monday-Thursday of the month to join your child(ren).
• Outside lunch will be allowed on the day you join your child for lunch
• This will begin in September for August attendance.

***This incentive is an exception to the NO OUTSIDE food policy***

In order to maximize instructional time, students must bring their lunch with them from home or eat the free lunch provided by the school cafeteria! No lunch drop offs throughout the school day will be allowed.

Goodie Bags

Goodie bags are allowed and will be passed out at the end of the day! Students must place them in their backpack until they get home.

• Must contain ONLY pre-packaged, individually wrapped snacks!
• Candy is allowed
• NO gum
• NO toys!

Birthday Cupcakes

• Cupcakes are allowed! They must be store bought!
• Pre-K: cupcakes are NOT allowed per Pre-K and Head start guidelines.

Lunch visits will be allowed on the student’s birthday and once a month on a day that the campus principal designates for a special occasion related to district/campus goals, including student achievement, attendance, and customer service. Parents may only bring lunch for their child. Sharing meals and offering lunch to other students is not permitted. (Perfect Attendance/Student of the Month)

The Southwest ISD app is available to download free from the Apple App Store or the Google Play store. Download it today! 😀

This mobile app will help students, parents, and community members know what is happening around the District and on campus from their phones.

Most families use their phones as a primary means of communication, so we’ve created an app that is custom-built to our schools for smartphones. On the app, students, parents, and the community can read the latest announcements, locate staff contact information, review upcoming events, find important documents, news from administrators, student stories, and even emergency notifications. Always be in the know, with Southwest ISD on the go!

Download for Android: https://bit.ly/3zBUR82

Download for iPhone: https://apple.co/3zAa5dN

Learn more about the app here: www.swisd.net/mobileapp/

To ensure a safe and smooth dismissal daily, the district has designated late afternoon check-out times for all campuses. For elementary campuses, 3:00 p.m. is the latest that a parent may sign out a student before dismissal. Any special circumstances may be discussed with and approved by the campus administration.