The Weekly Update #4

*MAP testing window 8/19-9/13

August 22: Scout Night 7:00 p.m. - See info. below

*August 29 - 5th Grade Camp Meeting 5:30 p.m.; General PTA Membership Meeting and Family Picnic 6:00 p.m.

*August 30 - PTA Membership popcorn prize party

*September 2 - Labor Day Student/Staff Holiday

*September 5 - PTA Big Kahuna Fundraiser Begins through the 26th

*September 12: WatchDOGS Meeting (6 p.m.); MOD Squad Meeting (6:30 p.m.)

*Week of September 16 - College Week

*September 19th - General Membership Meeting 6:00 p.m.

*Week of September 20-27 - Book Fair

*September 25 - Spring Creek BBQ

*September 27 - Western Day

To ensure the safety and well-being of all our students, we kindly remind you that outside food deliveries, including fast food, are not permitted during school hours. If your child forgets their lunch and cannot eat in the cafeteria, you are welcome to bring a sack lunch for them before 10:00 a.m. in order for it to be received in time. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

We're just a week into a new school year, but your Keeley PTA has already hit the ground running!

Here are three easy ways you can support the PTA:

1. Join the PTA - no volunteering required. Your Membership dues alone will help us further our mission of engaging and empowering families so every child can reach their potential. Join today!
2. Volunteer. Of course, if you'd like to volunteer, we'd love for you to join us! We currently have several opportunities available, including WatchD.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students), MOD Squad (Moms On Duty), room parents and the 5th grade planning committee. Before you volunteer, though, you must complete and pass a GISD background check.
3. Attend our first Membership Meeting, the back-to-school picnic, on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. on the playground. The Credit Union of Texas food truck will have hamburgers, and Soft Serve Social will be selling their mile-high ice cream cones with all the toppings. This is one of our favorite events of the year, and it's a great way to meet your student's new friends and teachers and connect with Keeley families.

Finally, the PTA would like to thank General Seven-Six for generously purchasing 100 composition notebooks for 1st grade! We would also like to thank you, our PTA Members, for helping us buy nap mats for Pre-K and colorful butcher paper for the school, ensuring Keeley's staff and students have what they need to start the year successfully. When we work together, we can continue hitting home runs and supporting Keeley. The PTA truly is a team effort. If you have any questions or need help, please email keeleypta@gmail.com.

Running late? Picking up early? There's a form for that! Students who are dropped off or picked up late for school or who are being picked up early will need to be checked in/out using the QR code on the front door.

This year we will be using Class Dojo school-wide for communication and student incentives. Make sure you have joined!

Sign-up here if you haven't yet.

We are also using Parent Square for District and campus communication. Families can access ParentSquare via the online portal or on the app. Families received an email with login instructions for the new communication system, ParentSquare starting Aug. 9. Learn more about the tool and how to register on the ParentSquare Help page.

Keeley Elementary follows the GISD Extreme Heat Guidelines:

● When the Heat Index exceeds 100 degrees- all outside activities should be canceled.

● When the air quality level reaches Red or Purple- all outside activities should be canceled.

● When the air quality level reaches Orange- outside activities should be limited to 20 minutes with frequent water breaks.

Back-to-School Forms

Student Information Update Forms opened on July 22nd. Parents can log into Skyward Family Access to complete all of the Back-to-School/Student Information Update forms. They are located under the 2024-25 Student Information Update tab. If forms are completed online in Skyward before Tuesday, Aug. 6, middle and high school students will be able to see their schedules as soon as their campus makes them available.

GISD hours for elementary campuses are from 8:10-3:30.

We will open our doors each day at 7:30am. We ask that parents stay with their children in their vehicles until 7:30 since we have no staff on duty to supervise until that time.

There will be no outside visitors for lunch until September while we get our cafeteria procedures and expectations down. More information will be coming soon regarding visitors at lunch starting in September.

Afternoon Dismissal

• School dismisses daily at 3:30pm. Parents must display a pick up tag in order to pick up. Without a tag, you must park and come into the office with an ID.

• Buses and Daycares will be dismissed from the gym and will load in the back faculty parking lot. Please do not use this lot to pick up students.

• Cars will enter through the entrance on Liberty Grove Road that is across the street from Lake Cities Community Church. Pavilions are labeled by grade level. Follow the loop until you arrive at the pavilion that matches your student’s grade level. If your student is in PreK or Kindergarten, stay in the right lane by the kindergarten doors to pick up. Once you have picked up your PreK or Kindergarten student, merge back into traffic. If you do not have any PreK or Kindergarten students, stay in the left lane to exit.

• Walkers will be dismissed out the front door and will start their walk to their destination. Students must walk off campus and not linger to talk to friends/hang out.

• Parent walk ups will be dismissed out the double doors by the kindergarten classrooms. Parents will get in either the PreK/Kinder line or the first through fifth grade lines and will show their tag to get their child. If you are picking up multiple students, stand in the line for your youngest student.

• Students remaining at 3:45 will be taken to the office. Parents arriving after 3:45 must park and bring the pick-up tag inside to pick up their child.

• Please communicate any dismissal changes to your child's teacher before 2:00 each day.

THE SAFEST WAY TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD IS TO GO THROUGH THE DRIVE THRU LINE AS STUDENTS WILL NOT LEAVE THE BUILDING UNTIL YOU ARE HERE.

*CAR RIDERS (ARE PICKED UP THROUGH THE CAR LINE ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING)

*WALKERS (WALK STRAIGHT HOME)

*PARK AND WALK (PARENTS PARK ACROSS THE STREET OFF CAMPUS and WALK UP BY THE CRAYONS BY PREK/K TO PICK UP THEIR CHILD WITH THEIR CARD).

TRANSPORTATION CALL CENTER • Up and running from July 22 to September 6, 2024 • 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday • Call Center number is 972-494-8530 • Trained operators will be able to answer parent questions on the spot.

Here is where you can view your child's lunch account and add funds. You can also see the menu here: https://www.schoolcafe.com/GARLANDISD

Parents may bring food of their choice to school to celebrate their child’s birthday. GISD has determined that this food must be prepackaged, individually portioned, store-bought items with the ingredients clearly labeled. These birthday treats must be distributed after all lunch periods have ended and at the end of the day prior to dismissal. Parents will not be able to attend but can drop off the items in the front office.

All students are encouraged to develop and maintain good dress habits at school and school-sponsored activities. Extremes in modes of dress are not acceptable; e.g. exposed midriffs, see-through clothing, tank tops, or garments advertising products that are in poor taste. Shorts of a modest length and fit (approximately knee-length, loose fitting and hemmed) may be worn by students in all grade levels. The final decision for determining appropriate dress and appearance will rest with the teacher and principal.

Several spirit dress up days will be offered throughout the year if students would like to participate.

Please feel free to reach out to us at A144@garlandisd.net if you need anything.

If you haven't joined our Twitter and Facebook accounts please stay connected with us!

Garland ISD Twitter: @gisdnews

Keeley Website: https://www.garlandisdschools.net/keeley

Keeley PTA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieKeeleyPTA

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