Deretchin Digest
September 2026 Edition
A Note From Mrs. Oliver
Almost three weeks down, and what a great start to our school year! It’s hard to believe we are already settling into routines, making new friends, learning new things, and filling our hallways with Dragon pride.
This year, we are celebrating just how “Lucky to Be a Dragon!” we are! And after these first few weeks, I think we can all agree—we really are lucky!
We are lucky to have amazing students who come to school ready to learn and grow. We are lucky to have dedicated teachers and staff who give their hearts to our students every day. And we are especially lucky to have families who partner with us to support our children and our school.
September is the perfect time to continue building those strong foundations. We will keep working on routines, responsibility, kindness, and making choices that help everyone feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. Every day is another opportunity for our Dragons to learn something new, show kindness, and let their strengths shine!
Here’s to a September filled with big learning, new friendships, and lots of Dragon pride! 🐉
Sincerely,
Tina Oliver
P.S. Please check out the button below and watch the "T & L Talks" video to learn about some exciting things on the horizon here at Deretchin during the month of September from Tina and Leia.😀🐶
Upcoming on the Deretchin Calendar
September 4- College Colors Day-Wear your favorite college shirt or colors!
September 7- No School - Labor Day Holiday
September 8-18- Dollars for Dragons (D4D) PTO fundraiser-be on the lookout for information from PTO
September 8- Progress Reports viewable
September 11- Patriot Day/First Responders Day- wear red, white, and blue! 💙
September 16- Read for a Better Life Day, Texas Standard Day - Respect and Responsibility, Coffee with the Counselors, 9:00,
September 19 - CISD Art Show at Admin Building, 9:00-3:00
September 24 - PTO General Meeting, 8:30
September 25 - Spotlight on Respect 9:15
September 30 - Walk/Bike to School Day
Counselor's Corner
Character Pillar of the Month: RESPECT
Habits of the Week:
8/12 and 8/17
Treat other people the way you want to be treated.
8/24
Be aware of people’s boundaries.
8/31
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
9/8
Include everyone
9/14
When asked to do something, do it right away.
9/21
Wait for others to finish speaking.
Complete Leia’s permission form: (click here) https://forms.gle/X81X5iUfEMFmVjL88
Upcoming Dates:
9/16/26 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Coffee with the Counselors in the cafeteria
Topic: Deretchin Counseling Program Overview & Dynamic Deretchin Volunteers
9/25/26 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM Character Spotlight: Respect (wear yellow)
Coffee with Counselors
Deretchin Earns an A Rating
PTO News
At Deretchin Elementary, we’re incredibly fortunate to have such a strong community of parents, teachers, and students. But did you know that the district can only provide so much funding for our school? That’s where the PTO steps in — and why your support is so vital.
With your help, the PTO is able to fund many of the extras that make Deretchin such a special place for our kids, including:
Covering field trips so every student can attend
Providing Field Day shirts so every child has a Deretchin shirt
Purchasing technology and website subscriptions to enhance learning
Supplying a copier for teachers and grade-level classroom materials
Adding playground equipment and shade coverage
Hosting monthly teacher appreciation events (TAP) to celebrate our amazing staff
Every donation, volunteer hour, and show of support directly benefits our students, our teachers, and our school. Together, we can continue to make Deretchin a place where every child thrives. We can’t do it without you!
We are LUCKY to have such amazing Dragon Families!
What is D4D?
Dollars for Dragons (D4D) is our school’s main fundraiser, a 10-day campaign where parents make direct donations online, by cash, or by check to support Deretchin Elementary. 100% of the funds stay at our school and help pay for teacher development, technology, playground equipment, student resources, and more — without using outside fundraising companies that keep 40-50% of your sales and force you to sale items.
We look forward to a great year and genuinely thank you for your contribution!
**Donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE**
Check your child's Tuesday folder next week for the D4D flyer.
PLEASE WAIT UNTIL 9/8 TO START.
D4D Volunteers Needed!
Between September 8th - 18th we will need various help collecting D4D donations, handing out rewards and playing music during lunch.
Be on the look out for a SignUpGenius link!
Make sure you are registered as an Anytime Volunteer to be alerted when we schedule the rewards and lunch shifts as the goals are met.
Update Your Account
Have you updated your membership toolkit account with your student's classroom information? Make sure to do that TODAY in order to connect to your room parent. Login Here.
Want to help capture photos throughout the year for yearbook? Want to be a library superhero and assist Mr. Mattern? Sign up to be a Deretchin Volunteer!
Spirit Night
Join us at Gringo's on 9/15 for this month's Spirit Night! They are honoring their donation to Deretchin ALL DAY! Just bring the flyer with your order online with the coupon code provided.
PTO General Meeting :: September 24th
Thank you to everyone who attended our first meeting last month!
Please join us at our General PTO Meeting on Thursday, September 24th at 8:30AM.
Spirit Wear Store
Have you seen all of our adorable Dragon Chica shirts around school? Do you need a Dragon Nation tee for spirit days? Show your Dragon spirit with items from our Spirit Store.
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Chaplain Information
Deretchin has received interest from a local chaplain to provide support for students. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please click on the button below.
Clinic News
Welcome to Deretchin Elementary I am Nurse Robby Bruner and the Clinic Aide on campus is Shara Bracho. We are looking forward to meeting your student and meeting their health needs while on campus. Below is information regarding the common processes and procedures within the clinic to meet the health needs of your student.
Clinic Contact Information
Phone: 832-592-8770
Fax: 832-592-8780
Email: jrbruner@conroeisd.net
Clinic Communication to Parents
We encourage parents to save the clinic phone number, 832-592-8770 or 832-592-8769, in your mobile device to avoid missed calls. The clinic phone number may show up as “spam” on your mobile device. The clinic will contact parents for any of the following reasons:
- Illness/Student pick up
- Follow-up regarding immunization requirements or vision/hearing referral
- Notify parent of an injury that you may notice when student arrives home or requires higher level of care
Illness and Attending Class
Students that should stay home or will be sent home from school:
- Fever of 100 degrees or more
- Suspected contagious condition or disease
- Vomiting or Diarrhea
- Severe stomachache, headache, or earache
- A child who is too ill to function in the classroom
Student must be free of fever, vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours without medication to suppress sign or symptom before they can return to campus.
Vision and Hearing Screening
Texas requires a Vision and Hearing screening, every school year, for all students new to Conroe ISD, as well as, every student in Pre-k, Kinder, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade. These screenings are completed by campus clinic staff during the first 120 days of school. Parents will receive a referral, requesting you to follow-up with a healthcare provider, if your student does not pass a screening. If your student does not meet the above criteria but you would like them screened, please contact the clinic. Parents do not receive a notice if their student passes the screening.
Activity Restrictions
If your student experiences an injury or illness that requires them to avoid physical activity during PE or recess, please email the clinic the physician’s note or written formal request. All activity restriction request should have the following:
- Student name
- Date of Visit
- Specific Restrictions
- Duration of time to implement restrictions
Medications on Campus
Medications can be administered to your student while on campus if the following requirements have been met.
- Parent must drop off medication to clinic.
- Parent must complete required documents giving campus permission to administer medication.
- All medications must be kept in the clinic for the duration it will be administered.
Prescribed Medication
- Labeled with student name, dose, route, and frequency
- Labeled in English
- Cannot be expired No more than 90-day supply
- Must be prescribed by licensed healthcare provider in Texas
Over-the-Counter Medication
- Dose cannot exceed recommended dose on bottle
- Cannot be expired
- No more than 30-day supply
- Must be medication approved by FDA
All medications must be picked up by parent or guardian before the end of the last day of school. No medication is kept in clinic over the summer months. Medications left after last day of school will be disposed of using the appropriate disposal method.
Asthma/Anaphylaxis/Seizures/Diabetes
Students that have a chronic health condition that require emergency medications or health management while on campus must have multiple documents completed prior to attending campus.
- Must meet “medication on campus requirements” listed above
- Completion of emergency action plan/ diabetic treatment plan
- Completion of document outlining health history
Life Skills and Rise
Happy September!!
What an Amazing start we have had to this school year!! We are excited to embark on this wonderful journey of learning opportunities. With the start of the school year, the students in our Lifeskills and Rise programs are continuing to become familiar with the routines and structure of the school and their individual classrooms, as well as building friendships with their classmates.
As we kick off the month of September, we will be studying about the change in seasons, from Summer into Fall (leaves, apples, Johnny Appleseed, and more!) paying attention to the weather and temperatures. Using our Unique Learning Differentiated Instruction Learning System, we will have the opportunity to work with the students with thematic units that integrate English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies with skill based lessons and a rich vocabulary for all grade levels, based on the individual needs of each student, following their Individual Education Plan (IEP) and accommodations.
We are looking forward to a fantastic year of learning and growth!! Thank you so very much for your continued support and partnership with your child’s education. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach out and contact us!!
Pre-K News
In September, PreK will be learning all about "My Family and Me!” We will have fun talking about ourselves, our families, the things we like, and what makes each of us special. We will also be learning about our five senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching!
Our PreK classroom is a place where children can explore, ask questions, make discoveries, and learn through play. We are so happy to see our little learners becoming more comfortable each day and enjoying their time with their friends. We are looking forward to a wonderful year filled with learning, laughter, friendship, and lots of fun!
We are so happy to be exploring and having fun in PreK!
Kindergarten News
First Grade News
Welcome back to school! We are excited to embark on another wonderful year with your first graders. As we begin our journey, we want to share some of the engaging and educational activities we have planned for this school year.
In Bluebonnet Foundational Skills, we will continue building our phonics skills to help us become stronger readers and writers. Students will practice letter-sound relationships, blending sounds to read words, and using their phonics knowledge to spell and write with greater confidence. Building a strong foundation in phonics is an important part of helping our first graders become successful, independent readers!
In Bluebonnet Reading Language Arts, students will explore the amazing human body and its systems while continuing to build important reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. We look forward to learning all about how our bodies work and discovering just how incredible the human body is!
In math, we will continue developing number sense and problem-solving skills. Students will practice working with numbers, using mathematical strategies, and explaining their thinking.
In science, we’ll focus on safety and the role of scientists. We’ll also explore the concept of matter, discovering the different states and properties that make up the world around us. We will end our matter unit with a S’mores celebration!
In social studies, we will discuss good citizenship and explore U.S. symbols. This will help students understand their role in the community and recognize important national symbols.
We are looking forward to a fantastic year of learning and growth. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child’s education. If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out to us! First Grade Teachers.
Second Grade News
We are off to a roaring great start in second grade. Students are loving the time in class to make new friends, learn all about their classmates, and solidify our routines and procedures. We thank you so much for setting up school routines at home that help your child succeed here at school. Thank you to those who were able to attend Parent Information Night. If you were not able to attend, please review the Parent Information Night presentation link sent by your child’s homeroom teacher. We are incredibly grateful to all our second-grade parents, and we look forward to partnering with you this year to foster a strong home-school connection.
Second grade readers are starting a new fun unit on Ancient Greek Civilization. This month, we will focus on our non-fiction skills, retelling facts, and answering comprehension questions about what we read. As writers, we will start our journal writing, making sure we have correct sentence punctuation.
Our mathematicians spent the first few weeks reviewing addition and subtraction strategies up to 20. Students have been really excited learning our new fact fluency routines and procedures, and they are doing a fantastic job! Our little learners will continue using their previous knowledge to solve addition and subtraction problems within 100. Students will be coming home extremely eager and ready to teach you all what they have learned.
Our young scientists have been learning about what good scientists do, what tools they use, and how to be safe during science lessons. We will continue with classifying matter by different characteristics, different types of matter, and how matter changes. There are many fun, hands-on activities planned for this unit.
In September, students will learn how to use maps and globes during their social studies lessons. We will practice identifying map titles, legends, and cardinal directions, while exploring the seven continents and five oceans. Students will also practice creating maps to show places and routes in our home, school, and community.
Dual & Bilingual Los estudiantes están practicando rutinas. Tenemos muchos proyectos divertidos planeados para este mes. Al principio de septiembre tendremos exámenes, terminaremos la unidad de Cuentos de hadas y empezaremos La Civilización Griega. Estamos trabajando mucho para aprender y estar felices.
Third Grade News
Hey 3rd Grade Families! We are so excited for a great school year!
We have officially kicked off Bluebonnet learning in our Reading Language Arts classrooms! For Unit 1, our third graders started the year by becoming reading detectives! We enjoyed reading the chapters of The Wind in the Willow as we focused on making predictions, asking questions, and finding evidence in the text to support our answers. Students also practiced summarizing and talking about characters and their choices - skills that will help them grow into confident, independent readers. We will move into Unit 2 during September, where our students will learn about the world of animal classification with the theme Scales, Feathers, and Fur. Students will explore how animals are grouped into categories like mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and amphibians by looking closely at their unique features. This unit ties science and reading together, giving students a chance to build critical thinking while enjoying exciting nonfiction texts.
We have also started our new math curriculum, enVision! In Topic 1, students learned the different ways to find the total when equal groups are joined by using repeated addition, arrays, and the commutative property and by using different ways to separate items into equal groups. In Topic 2, students will extend their thinking by learning the patterns of multiplication and working with the factors of 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10. In Topic 3, students will learn ways to break apart arrays, the distributive property and the associative property, as well as work with the factors of 3,4, 6, 7, 8 and 9! Please be sure to look in your child’s green take home folders for the Topic Reviews to help your child prepare for each assessment!
During social studies, we will continue to discuss the rights and responsibilities of good citizens and by the end of September we will move into government.
For science, we will measure, test, and record physical properties of matter, including temperature, mass, magnetism, and also describe and classify samples of matter as solids, liquids, and gases, as well as mixtures and solutions. We will continue to have some very fun science experiments! It will definitely be a busy September in 3rd grade!
Fourth Grade News
We have had an amazing first few weeks! We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know your precious kiddos and look forward to the days to come. 🙂
In our reading language arts block, students have been working hard on our first unit, Personal Narratives. Students are immersed and engaged with the written word through reading and writing routines and a variety of whole-class, small group, partner, and independent activities. Students will focus on three pieces of literature, one personal narrative and two accounts based on the lives of influential Texans. Students will use these texts to identify elements of the genre as well as write personal narratives of their own throughout the unit. Specifically, students will look for different paragraph structures, character traits, dialogue, sensory details, and figurative language as well as writing strong introductions and conclusions for their own narratives.
In social studies, we have learned about and practiced various map skills and how to read a map. We will start to learn about the four regions of Texas, focusing on the major cities in each region, plants and animals that are found there, and some major attractions that can be found in each region. We will end the month by beginning our American Indian unit. We will learn about the different Native American tribes that lived in the four regions of Texas and their ways of life.
We are off to a great start in math in 4th grade! In September we will be reviewing and learning about adding and subtracting whole numbers. We will be estimating before we add and subtract. We will also be adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers and subtracting across zeros. We will be learning about multiplying by 1 and 2 digit numbers. We will use area models and partial products to help us multiply. Each day, we are working on our multiplication facts during our fluency time. Keep practicing those at home! It will be very beneficial!
In science, we are enjoying hands-on labs and activities! We are currently finishing up our safety and matter units. We have learned about appropriate behavior during a science lab, and the different physical properties of matter. Next, we will learn about mixtures and solutions, and then different forms of energy, including mechanical, sound, electrical, light, thermal.
FIFTH GRADE NEWS
Language Arts
This month we will focus on wrapping up our personal narrative unit and transitioning to unit 2, The Renaissance: Art and Culture. The text that students will be reading and discussing in The Renaissance provides opportunities for students to build content knowledge and draw connections to Social Studies. Additionally, students will build on class discussions to support them in making cross-curricular connections to the strand of Culture. In the writing lessons, students will review the stages of the writing process and will use information from the Reader to write an extended constructed response.
Math
This month, students will strengthen their multiplication skills by working with multi-digit whole numbers and decimals! We’ll practice using strategies such as the standard algorithm, place-value reasoning, and estimation to solve problems accurately and efficiently. Students will also learn how to apply these skills to real-world situations and check their answers for reasonableness. We’re excited to see their confidence grow as they tackle bigger and more challenging multiplication problems!
Science/Social Studies
We have many fun activities planned for science this September. We will be finishing our matter unit, including mixtures and solutions. The next unit is forces and experimental design!
Early exploration and colonial regions are the next topics in social studies. Towards the end of the month we will begin learning about the American Revolution.
SIXTH GRADE NEWS
We are off to a great start in sixth grade. Our students all seem so happy to be back at school and we have settled into our daily routine really nicely. Most of us have even mastered the skill of getting into the lockers! Everyone is hard at work growing their learning.
In language arts, the plot is thickening! We are currently focusing on the elements of plot, characterization, and completing our beginning-of-the-year assessments. We have also started our first class novel, Frindle by Andrew Clements. As we read, students will apply their understanding of plot and character development while exploring the creative and humorous story of how one student's idea turns into a nationwide phenomenon. We are excited to dive into this engaging novel and strengthen our reading and analytical skills along the way!
Our math classes have been concentrating on working with positive rational numbers. The students have been adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals through the thousandths. Our level math class will have the topic one assessment on September 2nd, and advanced math will have their topic one assessment on September 1st.
Science has been all about properties of matter and focusing on the kinetic energy within that state. We will be exploring the Periodic Table next and learning about the important elements. In social studies, we've been brushing up on our geography skills and discussing the foundations of what culture is. We will also be having a live look at democracy in action as we hold our own elections for Student Council.
Teachers will also select students to be Grade Level Ambassadors for the first semester. Sixth graders have so many outstanding opportunities to participate in various community service committees here at Deretchin. Our morning helpers, recycling, and DNN crews have already been out in force, helping our school community. Be sure to ask your student if they are interested in signing up for an opportunity to get involved!
Music News
We are so excited for another year of making music! In grades K-4, we make music by learning songs and games that help us gain rhythm- and melody-reading skills. Our Deretchin Band, Choir and Orchestra are gearing up for another wonderful year of music as well!
This month, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade will focus on melody sounds- including so, la, mi and do. They will also work with the rhythms made of quarter, eighth, half and sixteenth notes and rests. First graders will focus on quarter note, eighth note and rest. Kindergarteners will sing songs and play games to identify different voices and high and low sounds. 4th graders will soon begin work on this year's music program. This will be performed in November.
Band is off to a great start! We are so excited to have 5th graders beginning on their instruments who have just started playing in class and 6th graders getting back in the swing of it from the end of last year. Our 5th graders are learning how to apply all they learned in their elementary music classes in band as well as the basics and fundamentals of their specific instruments. 6th graders are moving quickly into working on their scales and music for the McCullough Band Night and Walk to School Day on October 8.
The orchestra program welcomes our 6th graders after the summer break, and 5th grade students, we’re excited to start them on their journey! The first weeks with the 6th graders have been spent reviewing setup and their fundamentals. Soon we will start learning new music for our concert! The 5th graders started off by learning how the string instruments work, as well as getting them to understand how to hold the instrument properly. We are now learning how to pluck the strings and put fingers down. This is a lot to take in and please be patient with your child and encourage them to work slowly on getting these foundational building blocks as good habits!
Intermediate General Music has had a great time working on their Ukulele and piano and vocal skills, rhythms, and note reading. We will start recorder very soon.
Choir rehearsals have gotten off to a great start. The choir has a few exciting events coming up in the month of October that we are currently working towards, including Walk to School Day (9/30), the CISD solo contest for 6th graders (10/24) and our Intermediate Choir (5th/6th Grade) feeder zone concert featuring choirs from Deretchin, Tough, Mitchell, and McCullough JH (10/8)!
Thank you,
Melody Childs-Music/Choir
Michelle Gastler-Music/Band
Zack Grahn-Music/Band
PE News
Welcome back to school! We are excited to kick off a new school year! Coach C, Coach Parra and Coach Achee are looking forward to getting to know your children and having them in P.E. this year.
The goal of Physical Education at Deretchin is to teach students to develop healthy living habits that will last a lifetime. We accomplish that by having students participate in a wide variety of activities, sports, and challenges that will increase their physical, social, and mental abilities, as well as teamwork and cooperation skills. We hope to provide a safe, fun and motivating class that will encourage all students to want to participate, have fun and try their best. Focused fitness activities, health, nutrition, muscular strength, and cardio endurance are implemented into P.E. class, as well as Core subject areas such as math and spelling.
Here are some things that will help make P.E. as fun and SAFE as possible this year:
1. Everyone must wear athletic style sneakers. Flip flops, Crocs, boots, slippers, open-toed shoes and shoes with high heels should not be worn.
2. Girls should wear shorts under dresses and skirts.
3. If a student has a medical condition or injury, please send a note/medical excuse.
We are looking forward to a great year here at Deretchin! If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at school or via email.
Coach C (Mary Chernitsky), Coach Parra (Tammy Parra) and Coach Achee (Tracey Achee)
Library News
Greetings,
My name is Cristofer W. Mattern, and I am excited to serve as the librarian at Deretchin Elementary. This is my seventh year at Deretchin, and I love sharing my passion for reading, learning, and literacy with our students.
In the library, students enjoy stories, book discussions, writing activities, author studies, author visits, book fairs, research skills, and much more.
Book checkout limits:
Kindergarten & 1st Grade: 1 book
2nd & 3rd Grade: 2 books
4th-6th Grade: 3 books
I also welcome library volunteers! If you are interested, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4EABAC2EA5FECF8-65173586-library#/
Students visit the library on a rotating schedule every seven days.
"Hats Off to Reading," a free family literacy event hosted by The Pavilion Event Center is coming soon. This wonderful community initiative always features a special Houston Symphony performance, tons of games and activities, and a free book giveaway for every child that attends.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, September 9th
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: The Pavilion Event Center
If you have any questions, please contact me at CMattern@conroeisd.net or 832-592-8778
Happy Reading,
Cristofer W. Mattern
Library Media Specialist
Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination Zoom Meeting-Wednesday September 16th, 6:00-7:30 PM
The 2026-2027 Destination Imagination season is kicking off with a virtual Informational Meeting on September 16th at 6:00 p.m. See the Destination Imagination page on the school site for more information. We are looking forward to another engaging and rewarding D.I. year at Deretchin!
Ms. Hendon & Lauren Tabatabaei
Deretchin Destination Imagination
Lil' Cheer Clinic
Deretchin Mission Statement
Deretchin Elementary School is a school for the community, promoting a safe and nurturing learning environment while developing the whole child and encouraging excellence in all we do.
Deretchin Shared Vision Statement
Deretchin Elementary is a community that builds on best practices in order to help our students reach high academic, social, and emotional goals. Our school collaborates with our parents and community to provide a safe and positive culture the embraces the diversity on our campus where everyone is equal and achievements are celebrated.
Information
Email: toliver@conroeisd.net
Website: https://deretchin.conroeisd.net/
Location: 11000 Merit Oaks Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 832-592-8700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeretchinCISD/
X: @DeretchinCISD
The Conroe Independent School District (District) as an equal opportunity educational provider and employer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment matters. The District is required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as Board policy not to discriminate in such a manner.
For information about Title IX rights or Section 504/ADA rights, contact the Title IX Coordinator or the Section 504/ADA coordinator at 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, TX 77304; (936) 709-7752.