Houston Chronicles Vol 13

Dear Houston Elementary Families,

What a fantastic week of learning we've had at Houston Elementary! Thank you all for your continued support and dedication to our students' success. Here are some important reminders:

No School on October 11th and 14th:

Please remember there will be no school on these dates. We hope you enjoy the long weekend and come back refreshed for more learning and growth!

National School Lunch Week: October 14-18
We’re excited to celebrate National School Lunch Week (NSLW) from October 14-18 with a fun pirate-themed week! To mark this special event, we have some exciting activities planned:

• Pirate Dress-Up Day: On Friday, October 18th, students and staff are invited to dress up as pirates to celebrate the treasures of healthy meals.
• Lucky Tray Activity: Every day during NSLW, we will choose a Lucky Tray Winner! Students will find stickers randomly placed on the bottom of their trays, and those who find one will receive a special prize.

Be sure to join us in celebrating the importance of healthy school meals in a fun and engaging way!

Attendance Goal – 98%:
We are striving for a school-wide attendance goal of 98%! Every day matters, so please ensure your child is present and on time to help us reach this goal. Congratulations to Kindergarten this week for their attendance! As a reward, they can wear free dress on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Let’s keep working together to meet our attendance goal!

Morning Tutoring:
Morning tutoring runs from 7:20 AM - 8:00 AM, and it’s important that students arrive on time to get the full benefit of these sessions. If your child is late more than three times, they will no longer be permitted to attend tutoring. Please help your child arrive on time.

Student ID Badges for Breakfast:
Parents, please ensure your child brings their ID badge each day. This helps the breakfast line run smoothly and ensures your child gets their breakfast quickly.

Thank you all for your ongoing support, and let’s continue to work together for an amazing school year!

Warm regards,
Dr. Daberechi Okafor

Principal

I also want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for a wonderful Hispanic Heritage Month celebration event! It was a beautiful tribute to the rich culture and history of Latin America. A special thank you to Mr. Long for his hard work in preparing the children and organizing such a great event!

Lancaster, TX – Houston Elementary, along with Lancaster ISD, proudly joins Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in celebrating National School Lunch Week (NSLW) from October 14-18, 2024. This year, we’re using the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and School Nutrition Association (SNA) theme: “School Lunch Pirates: Find Your Treasure!”

We’re excited to celebrate NSLW with this fun, pirate-themed event that highlights the importance of healthy meals in our lunchrooms and engages our students in a creative way. Research shows that eating breakfast and lunch at school boosts attention spans and leads to improved grades, making nutritious school meals vital to our students’ success.

Special Activities for NSLW:

• Pirate Dress-Up Day:
  Students and staff are encouraged to dress up as pirates on Friday, October 18th, 2024, to join in the fun and celebrate the treasure of healthy meals!

• Lucky Tray Winners:
  Each day during NSLW, we will have a Lucky Tray Winner! Stickers will be randomly placed on the bottom of student lunch trays, and those who find one will win a special prize.

In addition to these fun activities, we’ve also created the Lancaster Pirate’s Menu, which is attached to this newsletter. Be sure to check it out to see the special meals we’ve planned for this exciting week! Let’s make National School Lunch Week an adventure as we celebrate the importance of good nutrition and the treasures of healthy eating!

We need your help to make our Trunk or Treat event a sweet success! Please consider donating to our Halloween candy drive, with donations accepted from October 7 to October 23. Every donation counts, and it will help ensure our students enjoy a fun and festive celebration. Thank you for your support!

Health Screening at Houston Elementary - November 6, 2024

Please be informed that Houston Elementary will conduct its annual Health Screening on November 6, 2024. This is an important day to ensure our students are healthy and ready to learn. This screening will be for specific grades, and more information from the nurse will be coming soon. Stay tuned for further details as the date approaches.

We met with our students today regarding our theme of Honor at ALL times, Exceed in ALL things and Serve ALL people! Please talk to your child about what this looks like in the Restroom, Hallways, Cafeteria and Hallway. We will select one student in each class that exemplifies this based on Dojo points and they will get a PIZZA PARTY!!

All student meals will be eaten in the the cafeteria. Students must scan their student ID when going through the lunch line. Students receive free breakfast and lunch in Lancaster ISD. Visitors will not be allowed to eat in the cafeteria or classrooms with students. Outside food or beverage in a lunch bag will be allowed. Dropping off food from a restaurant, fast food, etc. is strictly prohibited.

This summer, our district met to review our safety and security protocols and emergency management procedures thoroughly. As a result of these meetings, several safety and security enhancements will take place this school year. One safety enhancement will require all Lancaster ISD students to carry a clear or mesh backpack. This decision is a preventive safety and security measure, and all students who attend Lancaster ISD must adhere to this requirement.

Backpacks must be clear or mesh, and students may carry a non-clear pouch no larger than 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches to hold personal items, such as cellphones, money, and hygiene products. Below is a list of retailers where the backpacks can be ordered.

Safety, Security and Dress Code Updates.

The safety and security of our students and staff have always been our top priority in Lancaster ISD, and we continuously strive to implement measures that enhance their well-being. After conducting a thorough review of safety measures and carefully considering the feedback from our board of trustees, district leadership team, campus principals, and the district's safety and security committee, we have updated our dress code policy to enhance our safety and security efforts throughout the district. These updates will be implemented during the upcoming school year.

The dress code updates include eliminating the option for students to wear hoodies and any outerwear with hoods inside any district campus or building, continuing required student uniforms and clear or mesh backpacks, and expanding the district-wide student ID badge requirement.

This change in dress code to eliminate hoodies aims to remove barriers that hinder the quick and accurate identification of students' faces. Hoodies, hooded sweatshirts, and other outerwear with hoods can obscure a student's face, making it challenging for staff to identify them properly. Removing the option for hoodies and similar outerwear to be worn inside of schools will ensure a clearer line of sight, enhance our ability to identify students promptly, especially during emergencies, and will contribute to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all students and staff within our campuses.

In addition to the dress code update, we will be implementing a district-wide student ID badge requirement for grades K-12. Student ID badges will facilitate student identification and ensure that only authorized individuals have access to our school facilities. Each campus will provide additional information regarding the ID badge distribution process. Furthermore, we will continue enforcing our clear or mesh backpack and school uniform requirements.

We understand that hoodies and outerwear with hoods are popular among our students. We want to clarify that this decision is not an attack on this specific clothing item. Instead, this dress code enhancement is a district-wide initiative aimed at proactively preventing any obstacles that may hinder our ability to identify students during campus emergencies. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. By working together, we can continue to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all students.

Please review the following information so that you are aware of the most recent updates to the student dress code for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.

• All Lancaster ISD students have a district-wide uniform requirement

• All Lancaster ISD students must carry a clear or mesh backpack

• Student ID badges will be required for students K-12

• Hoodies or outerwear with hoods are no longer considered acceptable clothing items within Lancaster ISD and may not be worn inside any district campus or building. Articles of clothing falling within the unacceptable list include the following but are not limited to:

• Hooded sweatshirts with or without a zipper (hoodies)

• Hooded jackets

• Hooded sweaters

• Hooded coats

• Hooded windbreakers

• Hooded parkas

• Hooded raincoats

• Hooded fleeces

• Hooded vests

Please note that any outerwear or clothing item with an attached hood will be considered unacceptable according to the updated policy.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these changes, please do not hesitate to contact your child's school administration via our Let's Talk app under the dress code topic. We value your partnership and thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring campus safety.

In accordance with the Texas Education Code, Section 22.083, Lancaster ISD may obtain criminal history record information on an individual who has indicated, in writing, an intention to serve as a volunteer. Completion of the online volunteer registration will serve as a written intent to serve as a volunteer at a designated Lancaster ISD campus and a release to conduct a criminal background information check. Criminal information obtained is confidential and used only for the purpose of ensuring student safety.

The Lancaster Independent School District attendance policy will be followed for all students. Students are expected to attend class AND complete assigned tasks to demonstrate engagement in learning and mastery of concepts. Student attendance is MANDATORY as absences may result in denial of credit. Attendance will be taken daily in the TEAMS student data management system. Please review the district attendance policy outlined in the LISD Student Handbook by clicking here.

Order your School Spirit Shirt using the link and QR Code below!

We’d love to hear from you about Houston Elementary! Let us know what you think is working well and if there are areas where we could improve.

We’re also excited to start a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and would love for you to join us! The PTO helps with communication between home and school, organizes events, and supports our school activities. If you’re interested or want to know more, just let us know.

Your input and participation are really important to us. Let’s work together to make our school even better!

Please be aware, if your student is in need of immunizations they will not be able to attend school for the 2024-2025 school year. Please reach out to loricullum@lancasterisd.org if you have any questions. See your primary care physician or you can contact Dallas County Health & Human Services to make an appointment.