JNE'S Friday Newsletter

Dear Longhorn Families,

It has been a fun and busy week at Neill Elementary, filled with learning and exciting field trip experiences for our students. As we wrap up the week, we want to share that school will be closed on Monday due to the cold weather. We wish our Longhorn families a safe and warm weekend, and we look forward to welcoming our Longhorns back on campus on Tuesday.

Upcoming Events

Week of January 26th- Marco's Pizza Spirit Week

Monday, January 26th- School Closure- Weather

Friday, January 30th- 3rd Grade Service Sentinel Field Trip Group 2

Week of February 2nd- Counselor Appreciation Week

Tuesday, February 3rd- 5th Grade Science Interim Testing

Wednesday, February 4th- 4th Grade ELAR STAAR Field Test

Pending Date: 100th Day of School (will finalize once we return from the weekend)

Thursday, February 5th- 3rd Grade Math Interim Testing

Thursday, February 5th- 2nd Grade Field Trip

Friday, February 6th- 3rd Grade Field Trip

Friday, February 6th- 'Now that You're 10' Presentations for Grade 4 & Grade 5

We will be hosting Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences next month. By Friday, January 30, families should receive a conference sign-up from their child’s teacher. If you have not received an email by that date, please reach out directly to your child’s teacher to schedule a conference.

Items in our Newsletter Include:

• Campus Flyers
  
• Lunch Visitors Announcement
  
• Campus Reminders
• Attendance Information
  
• FBISD Whole Child Health
• Fort Bend Education Foundation Announcements
• Staff Contact Information

Sincerely,

The JNE Admin Team

Students can earn a Golden HERD Buck by completing their learning challenge by January 31!

Grades K–1
📘 Complete 10 DreamBox lessons

Grades 2–5
📘 Complete 10 DreamBox lessons and
🧠 Answer 30 IXL skill questions

✔️ Work may be completed at school or at home
🔑 Students log in through Clever or may ask their teacher for help

💛 Stronger Together — when we practice consistently, we grow as learners!

Our 3rd grade Longhorns are gearing up for their Service Sentinel field trip to Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP), and we are excited to support their service project! We will begin collecting donations Tuesday, January 20th through Tuesday, January 27th. Donation bins will be located in front of the library.

CAP has shared that the following items are most needed at this time. Please send only the items listed below:

• Newspapers (no ads, please)

• Hand soap

• Dog training treats (soft and small)

Thank you for supporting our Longhorns as they serve our community and put compassion into action!

Kids Heart Challenge Fundraiser Flyer (Proceeds go to the American Heart Association)- NEW!

Campus HERD Presentation

January Outclass Calendar

JNE 5th Grade Middle School Transition Information

Yearbook Photo Submission Request

FBISD's Download the Stopfinder App today- letter

FBISD Medication Policy

Dear JNE Families.

FBISD has introduced an easier and more convenient way for parents to submit student absence notes! Soon, the district will begin to limit the number of absence emails sent directly to campus attendance inboxes.

Parents and guardians can now submit absence requests directly through Skyward Family Access under their student’s profile.

To submit and upload an absence in Skyward:

1. Log in to your student’s Skyward Family Access account.
2. Select your student’s profile.
3. Click on the Attendance tab.
4. Choose Absence Requests.
5. Click the green “+ Add Absence Request” button and follow the prompts.
6. Upload your doctor’s note or parent note (if applicable).

Once your absence is submitted, the campus attendance team will review and confirm your request.

We hope this new feature makes it easier for families to ensure student attendance records are up-to-date and accurate. Thank you for your continued partnership and support!

Warm regards,

JNE Attendance Team

From FBISD

Thank you to the nearly 6,000 of you who have taken the time to share feedback about the district's Long-Range Boundary Plans!

There is still time left to finish the survey and share your feedback. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete. Please take a few minutes to respond.

The survey will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 25.

Your feedback is critical as we work to balance enrollment across elementary campuses and establish the attendance boundary for the opening of Amy Coleman Middle School.

• FBISD Parents, listed in Skyward as Parent 1, received a direct email from FBISD to the email address provided to the district. Please check your junk and/or SPAM folders, also.
• FBISD Staff members received a direct email from FBISD to their work emails.
• All other Community members, including additional parents/guardians of FBISD students, can use the Public Survey Link option posted on the district’s website at www.fortbendisd.com/attendanceboundaries

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to build a strong and sustainable future for Fort Bend ISD.

FBISD Community,

Due to the anticipated winter storm, the Regular Schedule Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for Monday, January 26, 2026, will be postponed pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.0411(b).

The meeting has been rescheduled and properly posted to take place on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 6:00 pm at the Fort Bend ISD Administration Building located at 16431 Lexington Blvd, Sugar Land, TX 77479.

Postponement of the meeting is done in good faith, and out of an abundance of caution for our Board of Trustees, staff, students, and community members who plan to attend.

Sincerely,
FBISD Administration

We are excited to offer Service Sentinels, part of the Fort Bend ISD Premier Opportunities, right here at James C. Neill Elementary! This is more than a service project—it’s a chance for our students to become true agents of change in our community.

Service Sentinels encourages students to propose community service projects that meet real needs in our community. It’s an opportunity for them to learn collaboration, compassion, and humility while putting their ideas into action.

Examples include:

• Tours or partnerships with local agencies (police department, conservation sites)

• Environmental or community clean-up projects

• Service-focused initiatives tied to student interest and local needs

Why It Matters

Service Sentinels isn’t just about “doing good”—it’s about growing as citizens, learning to see needs around us and taking initiative to make a difference. It gives students authentic roles and voice, and helps them develop leadership skills in a real-world context.

It also aligns with the district’s vision to infuse deeper experiential learning into our curriculum. It’s also a great way to fuse service with learning and deepen our culture of care at Neill.

We can’t wait to see our Longhorns shine as Service Sentinels!

This month, we’re celebrating the Longhorn teachers who are marking another trip around the sun in January! We’re so grateful for the passion, care, and dedication they bring to our students each day. Join us in wishing them a happy birthday when you see them around campus!

Neill Elementary School will be inviting parents or guardians to join their children for lunch. Only one guest per student will be allowed into the cafeteria. We strongly encourage parents to sign up only one time per week if space allows.

Due to space constraints with large grade level enrollment, as well as to ensure the safety and security of all students, staff and visitors, we will ask that lunch guest sign up to join us ahead of time. Each week in our Friday Newsletter, we will post the link to a sign up genius for the upcoming week.

Lunch Visitor Sign Up Link

Please remember to bring a photo id with you to campus as this is required to be signed in to campus as a visitor.

We thank you for supporting us as our current practice is set in the interest of safety and fairness to everyone who would like to enjoy lunch with their child.

Lunch Times for the 2025-2026 School Year:

Kindergarten- 10:00am-10:30am

First Grade- 10:45am-11:15am

Second Grade- 11:20am-11:50am

Third Grade- 12:00pm-12:30pm

Fourth Grade- 1:15pm-1:45pm

Fifth Grade- 12:35pm-1:05pm

Dietary Restrictions through the Child Nutrition Department

The Child Nutrition Department can offer dietary accommodations for students at no extra cost for students or families when it is medically necessary. The request forms must be signed by a physician or recognized medical authority and submitted to the Child Nutrition Department by:

Fax: 281-634-1862 attn: Dietitian

OR by email: DLCNDSpecialDiet@fortbendisd.com

A new Request for Dietary Accommodations form does not need to be submitted each school year unless there are any changes.

Link to Request Form

• Lunchtime guests will be signed in to visit in the cafeteria only.
• Please be on time for lunch so that you and your student are able to enjoy the full lunch time together. Thank you for exiting the building through the front doors at the end of lunch.
• Guests can only join a student for lunch if they are an approved emergency contact in Skyward Family Access.
• Guest must have a photo ID to be allowed onto campus.
• Visitors may only bring food for their child.
• Families who need an allergy-free seat during lunch may leave a note in the comment section of the sign-up genius.
• Please exit the cafeteria at our 5-minute remaining mark to help us prepare for our next lunch and to allow students time to rejoin their class and prepare to return to their classroom.
• We will not be able to host lunch visitors during state testing or special events on campus.

Fort Bend ISD is happy to serve a community with families from all around the world. We are proud to be culturally diverse and celebrate our unique traits as a community of compassionate citizens.

We recognize that fasting practices occur throughout the calendar year. As a school community we are sensitive to and accommodate students and staff observers who express they are fasting.

If your family would like the campus to be aware of your student's wish to fast, please send an email to your child's classroom teacher so that we can be aware of any needs that may occur during an observance. Our partnership with our school community is important to us and we thank our families for their communication with the campus regarding special occasions and observances that may impact the instructional day.

Neill Elementary School recognizes the value and importance of school attendance and encourages regular attendance to help our students be successful through the school year. Please email the attendance office within five days of the student’s recorded absence explaining the reason for the absence or the absence will be marked as unexcused. You may send an email to attendancejne@fortbendisd.gov.

Fort Bend ISD is looking for mentors for the 2025—26 school year!

If you are a member of our community or part of the FBISD staff and are interested in making a meaningful impact in a student’s life, we invite you to fill out the UPLIFT Mentor Interest Form.

What to expect:

• Meet with your mentee once a week for 30-45 minutes
• Read books and provide support at elementary level
• Provide support at secondary level

Questions? collaborativecommunities@fortbendisd.gov

Clothing reminders:

• We kindly ask that all families place a change of clothes for ALL students, as well as extra shoes for little ones– soiled, torn, accidents, spills etc. happen to everyone.
• Please consider to donating gently used black girls stretch pants in various sizes especially larger;
• Please consider to donating some gently used ELASTIC waist boy gym shorts and sweat pants (now that it is winter) in larger sizes

Health Reminders:

• If your child is ill – keep them home.
• Parents please medicate or treat for allergy symptoms at home.

Contact Reminders:

• Please make sure the clinic has the most up-to-date contact information for parents, guardians and emergency contacts.
• Please add the clinic phone number to your contact list so urgent phone calls do not come up as SPAM – 281-327-3768.

Students will be allowed to celebrate their birthday at the end of the day, by bringing individually packaged store-bought food products, provided by the parent or grandparent. Treats may be distributed to classmates on or near (i.e. bring treats on Monday when the birthdate was on a weekend) the student’s birthdate.

Prior to sending any treats, we ask that you contact your child’s teacher to discuss the date you will send treats. The nutritional label must be attached to your store-bought item. A parent or guardian must bring them into the building and fill out the proper form which is submitted to FBISD’s Child Nutrition office.

Parents or grandparents of a student at Neill may provide one birthday treat per child to share with the student’s homeroom class only. This may be in the form of ONE individually wrapped edible or ONE small tangible item (such as a pencil) with the value of the individual item not to exceed $5.00.

We require single serving items, which must be pre-packaged and individually wrapped, such as mini- cupcakes, cookies, brownies, or Krispy treats.

We respectfully request no cakes, drinks, balloons, flowers, donuts, stuffed animals, or goody bags. To preserve instructional time, additional party favors ARE NOT permitted. Birthday treat time is not a “party” but a simple, quick recognition of the child’s special day.

Please keep in mind that we have several students with food allergies. For this reason, products containing peanuts or manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts are prohibited. No nuts please, due to allergies.

Principal: Margaret Murphy

Margaret.Murphy@fortbendisd.gov

Assistant Principal: Felicia Holmes (Grades K, 1st, 4th)

Felicia.Holmes@fortbendisd.gov

Assistant Principal: Natacha Isaac-Bonaventure (Grades 2, 3, 5)

Natacha.Isaac@fortbendisd.gov

Executive Assistant: Vickie Zellers

Victoria.Zellers@fortbendisd.gov

Registrar: Jamie Fish

Jamie.Fish@fortbendisd.gov

Front Office Receptionist: Michelle Munoz

Michelle.Munoz@fortbendisd.gov

Counselor: Janelle Moses (Grades K, 3, 4)

Janelle.Moses@fortbendisd.gov

Counselor: Jordan Massey (Grades 1, 2, 5)

Jordan.Massey@fortbendisd.gov

Campus Compliance Coordinator (Special Education, 504, STAAR): Bobbi Threatt

Roberta.Threatt@fortbendisd.gov

Nurse: Vesna Scarborough

Vesna.Scarborough@fortbendisd.gov

Email: margaret.murphy@fortbendisd.gov
Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/jne
Location: 3830 Harvest Corner Drive, Richmond, TX, USA
Phone: 281-327-3760
Twitter: @JNE_Longhorns