Inside The Castle

It’s Fall, Y’all! 🍂💜💛

We’ve made it to Week 8, and fall is officially in the air! 🍂 As we continue moving through October, we are so proud of the learning, growth, and excitement happening across our campus. Thank you, families, for your continued support and partnership as we make every day count for our Wildcats!

Here’s to another great week of learning with purpose, leading with courage, achieving with excellence, and serving with heart! 💜💛

Principal Simon 💜🏰

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing PTO for your continued support of our students and staff! Your time, generosity, and dedication help make so many special opportunities and experiences possible at RCES. You truly make a difference, and we are incredibly grateful for all you do for our Castle!

Our Storybook Parade is set for Friday, Oct. 3Oth.
Students may wear a school friendly costume (please no scary characters) that represents a story or storybook character. We encourage students to bring the story book of their character to accompany them; however, the book is optional. Stay tuned for more information.

This year, Special Programs is excited to continue to offer our Fall Sensory Friendly Fest. We are going to also combine this night with our Annual Dyslexia Night. Both events will take place simultaneously at the Willis CTE Center on October 20th from 5:00 to 6:00pm.

If you are visiting your student for lunch, please remember that you MUST be on the contact list. If you are not on the contact list, you will not be allowed to eat lunch with the student.

Here are the Lunch times by grade:

• Kindergarten: 10:55-11:25

• 1st Grade: 11:15-11:45

• 2nd Grade: 11:30-12:00

• 3rd Grade: 12:30-1:00

• 4th Grade: 12:15-12:45

• 5th Grade: 12:00-12:30

Parents: Testing may cause lunch schedules to fluctuate slightly. We will do our best to stay as close to our regular schedule as possible. We appreciate your understanding as we work to provide students with the best testing environment possible.

Staying for a 2nd Lunch?

If you’re visiting more than one lunch period, please return to the front office after your first lunch to receive a new sticker for the next lunch. You’ll then be escorted back to the cafeteria to join the next group and follow the same procedures.

LUNCH WITH YOUR CHILD IN THE CAFETERIA:

-To help us manage space in the cafeteria, we have provided a suggested schedule for lunch with your child below:

- Wednesdays and Fridays: Kindergarten, 2nd, and 3rd grades

- Tuesdays and Thursdays: 1st, 4th, and 5th grades

October 9: Early Release

October 12-16- FALL Break

October 13- Parent Teacher Conferences (see teacher for more info.)

October 20: Big Kahuna KICK OFF

October 21: 5th grade Houston Symphony Trip

October 26-29: Above the Influence Week

October 30-Storybook Character Day Parade- more information coming soon.

NOTE: GRANDPARENTS DAY HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER. MORE INFO..WILL BE FORTHCOMING.

Our Lost & Found is growing! As students bring jackets, sweaters, water bottles, lunch boxes, and other personal items to school, please remember to label belongings with your child’s first and last name.

Labeling items—especially jackets and sweaters—makes it much easier for us to return lost belongings to their owners.

Thank you for helping us keep our Lost & Found under control! 💜💛

Please pick up your LATE BIRD student from the cafeteria. Drive to the back parking lot.

Pick-up starts at 4pm in the cafeteria area. Students will not be in this area prior to 4pm; therefore you may have to wait if you try to pick up your LATE BIRD students before 4pm. All students staying for LATE BIRD should be picked up by 5:30pm.

Before and After School Care

Click on the link below to see information regarding the Early Bird and Late Bird program information.

https://www.willisisd.org/students-families/before-and-after-school-care

Reminders...

• The morning car rider line opens at 7:30am.
• All students must be ready to exit the car. Student must be unbuckled, backpack on, and all other items in hand ready to exit. If students are not ready to exit, parent will be asked to pull all the way up so the student can get ready to exit.
• All visitors must have a physical valid ID to enter the building. Safety is a top priority always.
• No visitor should hold the door open for the next visitor. It is okay to say, "You will have to scan your ID to enter" and then ensure door closes behind you.
• No fast food deliveries will be accepted. Beginning September 1st, parents may bring fast food only if they are eating lunch with their child during their lunchtime.
• All early pick ups and transportation changes must occur by 2:00pm
• Parent are not allowed to get out of their car to pick up a car rider. You must stay in your car to pick up your student who is a car rider.
• If you still need to get a car rider sign, please feel free to stop by the front office between the hours of 7:35pm - 2:00pm. Remember, you must have your ID.
• LATE BIRD STUDENTS MUST be picked up by 5:30pm

Transportation Changes

• Reminder: If you would like to change your student’s transportation for the day: All changes must be made by 2:00 pm.

• Please click on the "Transportation Change Form" HERE.

• Bus Riders Contact the Transportation Department for any bus-related questions at 936-856-1220.

• Kindergarten students must have a parent or designated adult to get them off the bus. If no one is there to receive the student, the student will be returned to their school.

• For Kinder students, parents must show their ID and/or have the student's bus card/tag.

Your child’s journey, right at your fingertips. MyRide K-12 makes school transportation simpler, safer, and more connected by giving families convenient access to bus information, schedules, and real-time ride updates—all in one place.

As a part of the National School Lunch Program, some students may be eligible for a free or reduced-priced lunch. All families wishing to receive free or reduced meals must complete a new application each school year. If the family received assistance in the previous year, it will continue for the first 30 operating days into the new year or until a new application is processed. The fastest way to apply for free or reduced-price meals is by completing an online application, found at www.schoolcafe.com/willisisd.

Free and Reduced Lunch Application

To create a School Cafe Account, click HERE. We use SchoolCafé to: Make Payments, Set up Auto Pay, Get Low Balance Alerts, Submit Meal Applications, View Letters, View Purchases, AND View Menus

Car Rider Line Video: Please take a moment to watch our car line procedure video. The easiest way for us to see your car rider sign is by hanging it from your rearview mirror. Be sure to keep the sign visible until you reach the cone or curb where your child will be waiting.

Car Rider Video

Be sure to download the Willis ISD App on your phone or device. This is a way to quickly connect to new feeds and check your parent access.

Administration

Principal: Dr. Chastity Simon- csimon@willisisd.org

Assistant Principal: Micah Surface- msurface@willisisd.org

Counselor: Yolanda Tigner- yjohnson@willisisd.org

Front Office

Campus Secretary: Jacqueline Padilla - jpadilla@willisisd.org

Registrar: Lacey Lilley - llilley@willisisd.org

Receptionist: Brandy Thornton- brthornton@willisisd.org

Nurse: Tara Snoe- tsnoe@willisisd.org

Castleschouldt Visitor Information

Always bring your valid physical ID. No photos or copies will be accepted.
Have your ID ready at the door.

Our top priority is keeping your child safe while at school. To help with this, here are the procedures for entering the front office:

• All campus doors stay locked at all times.

• To come inside, please ring the doorbell located on the right side of the front center doors.

• When a staff member answers, they will ask the reason for your visit and request that you show your valid ID to the camera.

• After your information is verified, you will be buzzed into the front vestibule.

• Please do not hold the door open for anyone else. Everyone must follow these same steps.

• Once inside, please check in at a Raptor Kiosk or with our friendly front office staff.

Thank you for helping us keep Castleschouldt safe!

Raptor Safe App

We are excited to announce that WISD has adopted the Raptor Safe mobile app as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety and streamlining visitor management in our schools. This app builds on our existing visitor procedures, offering a more convenient and secure check-in process for everyone.

What is the Raptor Safe App?

The Raptor Safe app offers a convenient and secure way for visitors to manage and verify their identity before arriving at a school. With the Raptor Passport feature, visitors can pre-verify their identity, allowing for a seamless sign-in process when they arrive on campus.

How Does It Work?

When visiting a school, visitors can use their secure QR code generated by the app to expedite the check-in process. QR codes automatically regenerate every 5 minutes to ensure security and prevent misuse.

Getting Started

The Raptor Safe app is available to all visitors across the district. To download the app, please visit

https://raptortech.com/raptorsafe-app/.

For questions or assistance, please contact us at 936-856-1231. Thank you for helping us keep our schools safe.

We are off to a great start of the 26/27 school year! A few things to keep in mind for this year:

*Student Health History: All students need updated Health History and Parent/Guardian contact info. Please review these for each student individually. Please make sure that all contact information is updated on your student’s portal. Updated contact information and phone numbers are so important for us to be able to reach you with any needs, concerns or emergencies.

*Parental Consent for Health Related Services (Senate Bill 12): Parents MUST fill out the District consent for Accepting clinic services or Declining services annually. Our apologies for any confusion the online form may have caused, please read carefully, checking boxes mean you decline clinic services. Please review the form for details to ensure your intent was captured properly. Changes can be emailed to Tsnoe@willisisd.org or a printed copy can be returned with your student for me to update your file. Please reach out if you have further questions.

* Medications at school: New physician orders are required for any medication administered at school. The 26/27 medication form can be found on the RCES school nurse’s page and on the WISD District site. This includes daily medications, emergency medications and medications administered on an “as needed” basis. All medications must be provided by the Parent.

*Emergency Action Plans/Health Management Plans: New plans are required and need to be filled out by your student's doctor every school year for conditions such as (but not limited to) Asthma/Epilepsy/Severe Allergies. Please contact me if you have questions regarding these.

*Illness/Absences: When your child is ill, turn in any doctor notes and report absences/communicate with our registrar via RCESATTENDANCE@Willisisd.org It is important to remember that schools must exclude students with certain illnesses for periods of time as identified in state rules. For example, if your child has a fever of 100 degrees, he/she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

Illness at school is evaluated by health service staff in the clinic. A child who demonstrates the following symptoms will be sent home from school.

• Fever of 100 degrees or more.

• Suspected contagious condition or disease.

• Vomiting,diarrhea or pink eye.

• A child who is too ill to function in the classroom.

• Unidentified generalized rash

• An illness or injury that the nurse determines needs immediate medical attention

Remember - Please send your student daily with a water bottle!! - Flu season is upon us! Wash those hands! Cover that cough/sneeze! ~ STAY HEALTHY WILDKATS !!!

Stay Connected with "THE CASTLE"

Be sure to check Castleschouldt's website regularly for the most up-to-date information. We will continue updating calendars and posting pictures throughout the year.

The website is also a great place to:

• Access SchoolPay

• Submit a Paws of Pride

• Use the Contact Us button to understand the communication flow and know exactly who to reach out to with your questions or concerns

• Submit an Anonymous Alert to administrators if there is suspicious activity, bullying, or student-related safety issues.

• Want to keep up with campus updates? - Follow the PTO Facebook page at "Castleschouldt PTO" or contact PTO using the following email address thecastlepto@gmail.com