GALATAS GAZETTE

Candace Mathis, Principal

Michelle Fry, Assistant Principal

Dawn Wright, Assistant Principal

Natalie Oliver, School Counselor

Through the collaborative efforts of all who pass through our door, we provide a safe learning community that develops lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

Website: http://galatas.conroeisd.net/
Location: 9001 Cochrans Crossing Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalatasCISD/

This Week’s Attendance: 97.04% Galatas Attendance Goal: 98%

Every day at school matters! When our Greyhounds are here, they are learning, growing, connecting, and building on the learning from the day before.

Thank you, families, for making regular and on-time attendance a priority. Together, let’s keep pushing toward 98%—because every Greyhound and every day counts!

🕷️🪱 CALLING ALL GALATAS FAMILIES! 🪱🕷️

🔬🕸️ Creepy Crawlers Science Day 2026 is coming! 🕸️🔬

Mark your calendars for Friday, October 30th, and join us for a full day of creepy, crawly, science-filled fun at Galatas Elementary! 🐛🕷️🪲

We’re looking for volunteers to help bring science to life for our amazing Greyhounds! 💚 Whether you’re fascinated by creepy crawlies or just love helping our students learn, we’d love to have you join the fun!

🧪 Volunteer for the day and help educate our kids!
🐜 Explore the fascinating world of creepy crawlers.
🔬 Help make science exciting, memorable, and hands-on.
🕷️ Have a creepy GOOD time while making a difference!

✨ Ready to join the fun? Sign up to volunteer and help make Creepy Crawlers Science Day a HUGE success!

Our little scientists are counting on you!!

Please note: all volunteers must complete a CISD Volunteer Background Check. Please see the "Galatas Volunteer" section in this Gazette to complete the application before volunteering.

Order by December 30 for the early bird price of $40! Use the link below to order your yearbook today.

TOP DOG Parents:

Applaud your 4th grader’s achievements with a special “Top Dog Shoutout” for only $20.Look for the "1/8 Page - Top Dog Ad 4th Grade Only” tab when ordering.

STORYBOOK PARADE!

Dear Galatas Families,

I am so excited to announce that award winning author, Nell Cross Beckerman, is visiting Galatas’ 3rd and 4th grade students on Wednesday, November 11th! Our students have an opportunity to purchase her books and have them autographed the day she visits. The above picture shows a QR code to scan, or you can order at the link below. This will bring you to the online order form if you would like to purchase one or more of her books to be autographed! Orders need to be placed no later than Friday, October 30th.

Visit https://www.nellcrossbeckerman.com/#/ for more information about Nell Cross Beckerman.

Galatas Librarian,

Dawn Michalsky

The GT Nomination window for parent nominations for the Spring, 2026-2027 Gifted and Talented screening will be open October 5 - December 15, 2026.

Spring GT testing will take place at Galatas Elementary during the school day from January 19 -February 5, 2027.

Parents may nominate their Kindergarten and/or 1st grade student but it is highly advised that parents consult with their child’s teacher prior to nominating their child as tests can be frustrating for younger students due to the amount of time involved in testing.

Parents of 2nd grade students: Please do not nominate your 2nd grade child at this time! All second-grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment in October which will serve as a GT screener for second grade students. Testing Window: October 13- November 3. Students in 2nd grade will test with a 2nd grade teacher in a 2nd grade classroom. Students must be present to test during testing window.

Parents may nominate their 3rd and/or 4th grade student. It is strongly encouraged that parents consult with their child’s teacher(s) prior to nominating their child. If your child has already qualified for Gifted and Talented services in some content areas but not all, you must nominate them again if you would like for them to try to qualify in additional areas. Students must take the full battery of tests as specific subject areas cannot be isolated for testing purposes.

Please contact our Assistant Principal, Michelle Fry, at mfry@conroeisd.net for additional information and/or a GT Nomination packet.

All completed nomination packets must be returned to Michelle Fry on or before December 15, 2026.

Please support our school by joining our amazing PTO. The link below will take you to the Galatas PTO website, where you can join the PTO and explore ways to get involved at Galatas.

It is a great way to get connected with our Galatas community and other parents.

In order to volunteer at school, a Volunteer in CISD Application must be completed.

Parents, we would like to remind you that we have a significant number of students and their parents that bike/walk to school. Please be cautious when driving in the school zones and when passing through crosswalks. Before turning to proceed through a crosswalk, make sure that no one is in the crosswalk. We have had several instances recently where drivers have proceeded into a crosswalk while a crossing guard has been actively crossing students. Just a reminder that it is state law to stop when pedestrians are in a crosswalk.

Plan accordingly when traveling through a school zone. Give yourself a few extra minutes when driving through these congested areas. The consequences of speeding, disregarding a crossing guard, or injuring someone in a crosswalk is not worth a few minutes of your time.

All visitors must be able to provide a government issued, photo I. D. at each visit. Photos of the I.D. will not be accepted. Visitors will check in at the front office and receive a Visitor Badge which must be worn at all times in the building. When leaving the building, visitors must check out with the front office and return the badge.

Clinic Needs: The Clinic is in need of mints (regular Starlight peppermints) and saltine crackers.

Medications: All medications must be checked in to the clinic by a parent/guardian. This includes cough drops and inhalers. All medications can be checked into the clinic during school days - there is no need to make an appointment.

IMPORTANT RULE: All medications must be brought to the clinic by a parent/guardian and

signed in. Students are not allowed to bring medications in backpacks.

From the CISD Health Services Department web page: "If your student has a fever over 100 degrees, he or she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications." Giving Tylenol or Motrin to lower a fever does not keep your child from being contagious to others.

Please continue to provide a change of clothes in your child's backpack in case of accidents. Students may spill, fall, or not make it to the restroom on time. The Clinic has a limited supply of extra clothing and having an extra set in their backpack will make it easier to change if needed.

Clinic visit communication: When your child visits the clinic during the day, a clinic pass will be sent home. This is how we communicate with you that your child was at the clinic. We only call parents/guardians if it is determined necessary based on the clinic assessment.

Please contact me at apool@conroeisd.net with any clinic related questions or concerns.

Ashley Pool, RN

Montgomery County Food Bank offers several resources to help families access food when they need it. Assistance is available throughout the county with no referral, no registration, and no cost. Families can use the Food Bank’s online map to find nearby pantries and mobile markets, including locations with evening and weekend hours.

Check here for District events for your students and family!

October 24 Trunk or Treat Opportunities

The Birthday Book Club is a great way to celebrate your child’s birthday or half birthday and help support the Galatas Elementary Library. We have partnered with Bound to Stay Bound, one of our library book vendors, so book selections can be made directly from the website.

Please visit the letter and link below for more information and ordering instructions.

To support student safety during gym construction, Active Start will begin on Monday, August 17. Active Start is an opportunity for students to enjoy outdoor play on our playground from 7:30–7:47 a.m. before the instructional day begins.

To safely manage student arrival and playground capacity during construction, Active Start will be offered to one grade level each day according to the following schedule:

• Monday: Kindergarten
• Tuesday: First Grade
• Wednesday: Second Grade
• Thursday: Third Grade
• Friday: Fourth Grade

This adjusted schedule allows us to continue offering students a fun and active start to their day while prioritizing the safety of our students and staff during construction.

Our school start time is 7:55 AM. Students should be in their classrooms by 7:55 AM to view our Galatas morning announcements and begin their day.

The tardy bell rings at 7:55 AM. Students arriving to school after the tardy bell are considered tardy. Students arriving to school after the cones are set up at the entrance to the car rider line should be brought to the front of the school to enter through the front doors. Students must stop at the front desk. A parent should come into the school with the student to sign the student in for the day.

Construction has officially begun on our new stand-alone gym, and we couldn’t be more excited about what this addition will mean for our Greyhound family!

As with any major construction project, there will be times when we all need to demonstrate a little extra flexibility. While we anticipate occasional adjustments to routines, one thing will never change: the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. We are working closely with our construction partners to ensure secure fencing, designated work zones, and safety procedures are in place every step of the way.

We are also committed to keeping our families informed. We’ll communicate any important updates or changes throughout the project so everyone knows what to expect.

We want to thank you in advance for your patience, flexibility, and continued support as we build something incredible for our Greyhounds. We can’t wait to celebrate the day our students step into their brand-new gym!

Conroe ISD Library Services has enabled checkout notifications, so you know the title of the books your student checked out. These notifications will be sent on days when your student checks out a book from the school library and will only be sent for the initial checkout. Daily notifications will no longer occur for the entire time a book is checked out to a student. State law and board policy do not allow an opt-out option for these notifications. If you have a question or concern about your student’s reading material, please contact your campus librarian.

The Destiny Library Catalog has been updated with the following message as per Local Policy EFB: If you would like to restrict access to specific library materials, please complete the Library Access Form. More information can be found at Conroe Library Services.

All electronic devices (phones, smartwatches, tablets, headphones, air pods, etc.) must remain turned off during the instructional school day and stowed off the student in a backpack, purse, locker, or other designated storage area.

We ask that all toys and personal play items stay at home, in order to help everyone stay focused on learning and enjoy a safe, happy school day. This helps our students avoid misplaced items, disagreements, or interruptions to learning time.

We love seeing how excited our students are to share their favorite things with friends at school! However, we’ve noticed that toys, trading cards, and similar items have started to cause some distractions during class, on the playground, and on the bus.

Thank you for your help in supporting a positive and focused learning environment for all of our Greyhounds! We truly appreciate your partnership.

With the exception of service animals, dogs and other pets are not allowed on school grounds, including at the top of the hill during arrival and dismissal.

This is for the health and safety of our students and staff.

In addition, cell phone use in a school zone is prohibited. As you enter areas around schools, please end your calls and put your phone away.

The CISD Police and Montgomery County Sheriff's Department patrol our school zones to ensure everyone's safety, and will issue citations if necessary.

Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe!

Dear Galatas Families,

We need your help keeping our morning arrival and afternoon dismissal safe and moving smoothly, particularly in the area near the bus exit driveway leading onto Cochran’s Crossing, adjacent to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Please do not stop, park, or unload students along the street in front of or near this bus exit driveway. When vehicles stop in this area to allow children to exit, traffic backs up and can prevent our buses from safely exiting campus. This backup can quickly extend into our staff parking lot, making it difficult for buses and staff vehicles to move safely through the area.

We also ask that everyone slow down and use extra caution when driving near our campus, particularly if you are running late. We have seen vehicles attempting to move quickly around stopped or slower traffic in this area. With buses exiting, staff arriving, and children and families walking nearby, this creates a significant safety concern.

Please remember:

• Keep the bus exit driveway onto Cochran’s Crossing completely clear.

• Do not use the bus exit driveway as a student drop-off location.

• Use our designated arrival/drop-off procedures when bringing your child to school or when picking them up.

• Drive slowly and patiently around our campus, even when you are running behind.
• Be especially alert for students, pedestrians, buses, and staff members directing traffic.

We know mornings and afternoons can be busy, and we truly appreciate everyone's patience and cooperation. An extra minute or two is always worth it when it comes to keeping our Greyhounds and our entire school community safe.

Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:

--Do not "cut through" the Good Shepherd parking lot to get into or out of the Galatas parking lot.

--Only cross at crosswalks! Our crossing guards and staff are here to keep everyone safe and ensure that families cross intersections in an efficient manner. Please do not short cut through the school parking lot to get to the sidewalks.

--Please do not park behind staff cars in the school parking lot. Please park in a parking space, as blocking cars could cause a safety concern in case of an emergency.

--Please do not park up on the curbs or grass areas in the school parking lot.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at Hayden's Run and Wyndspire South. Keep the sight lines at the entrance clear for entering and exiting vehicles.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at South Silvershire Circle. Please do not park on the grass or lawn of the homes. Take care not to block driveways and leave enough room for residents to easily drive in their neighborhood at all times.

October

26 - 30 Red Ribbon Week

30 Science Day

November

2 No School: Student Holiday

3 No School: Student Holiday

10 PTO Meeting - 10:00 AM

12 3rd Grade Program - 6:00 p.m.

13 Kinder Family Picnic

19 Individual Picture Make-up Day & Class Pictures

23 - 27 No School: Thanksgiving Break

December

8 PTO Meeting - 10:00 a.m.

18 Early Release Day, End of Nine Weeks

December 21 - January 5 Winter Break

January

4-5 No School: Student Holiday

6 Classes Resume