Hirsch Hawk Herald

Dear Hirsch Hawk Parents and Guardians,

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our PTO Trunk or Treat event last Friday! We appreciate the dedication of our teachers and parents who volunteered their time and generously donated candy, making it possible for our students to enjoy some Halloween fun. Your involvement and contributions helped bring our school community together, and we’re grateful for your support.

This week, we are celebrating Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. It began in 1985 to honor DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who dedicated his life to fighting drug trafficking and lost his life in service. Since then, students, parents, and communities across the nation come together during this week to promote drug prevention and commit to making safe and healthy choices. Thank you for joining us in this effort!

A few quick reminders for this week:

• Big Kahuna Fundraiser Delivery: Orders will arrive on Tuesday, October 29, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Be sure to pick up your items during this time.
• Brighter Bites Delivery: Our next produce delivery will be on Thursday, October 31, from 3:40 to 4:40 p.m.

Thank you again for your continued support and engagement in all our events. We look forward to another fantastic week at Hirsch!

Best regards,

Principal Patterson

Hirsch Elementary School

"Unstoppable Heroes: Empowering Every Student to Soar"

Monday, October 28th “War Against Drugs Day!”

Wear camouflage & boots!

Tuesday, October 29th “Super Hero Day!”

Dress like your favorite superhero because staying away from drugs is a super thing to do.

Wednesday, October 30th “Weird Sock & Absurd Hat Day!”

Wear weird socks to sock it to alcohol, drugs, & vaping. Hats off to staying away from drugs.

Thursday, October 31st “Pick up a book instead of drugs!”

Dress as your favorite Book Character. Bring a book.

Friday, November 1st “Red Out!”

Wear Red to show your pledge to be drug-free.

Dear 5th and 8th Grade Parents and Guardians: Join us on Tuesday, October 29th, for the Spring ISD School of Choice Showcase at Dekaney High School starting at 6 p.m. Come explore our 8 exciting School of Choice programs! Learn more at www.springisd.org/choice

Attendance is so important for student success. Hirsch Elementary is committed to encouraging students to come to school everyday. Each grade level is participating in weekly and monthly attendance contests to see who has the highest attendance. Classes and grade levels with the highest attendance will get a reward! Everyday attendance equals everyday success. Thank you for partnering with us for your child's success.

On December 12, you can order your child Chick-Fil-A for lunch, while also helping to support Hirsch Elementary! We are excited to offer six days throughout the school year where you can order a special lunch for your child! Each meal starts at $9.50. Use the link below to order! All orders must be received by noon the day before delivery.

https://form.jotform.com/ChickfilASpring/hirsch-elementary-school

• October 27-November 1: Red Ribbon Week

• October 28: Spanish Spelling Bee

• October 29: Big Kahuna Fundraiser Delivery/Pick-up
• October 31:
• PK Field trip to Old McDonald's Farm
• Big Kahuna Fundraiser Delivery 4-6pm
• November 1: Rise and Shine- WEAR HOUSE COLORS

Hirsch Elem PTO

Stay up to date on our PTO by following our PTO Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/HirschPto/

After being approved by the Spring ISD Board of Trustees in early August, the district will include a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) on the upcoming Nov. 5 ballot.

The measure proposes a tax rate of $1.1569 per $100 of property valuation for the 2024 fiscal year, a 5-cent increase from the current rate. This would cost the average homeowner an extra $7 per month, generating about $20 million for the schools on an annual basis and allowing the district to eliminate its budget deficit and provide teacher and staff raises.

Homeowners who are receiving a homestead exemption for disability or are age 65 or older would not see an increase above their tax ceiling as a result of the VATRE.

The proposed tax rate, if approved by voters, would provide critical funding for teacher and staff salaries, including a 2% across the board raise for all staff. Starting teacher pay would increase from $60,500 to $61,500 per year, and targeted adjustments would be made for teachers with 5-15 years of experience, putting it in line with other local school districts.

With no increase in the state’s per-student allotment since 2019 and an inflation rate that has hit 17%, many school districts, including Spring ISD, have had to look to tax increases to generate needed funding.

Voters will have the chance to vote on the measure on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

We're pleased to announce our partnership with Brighter Bites! This wonderful program offers our families fresh produce free of charge each month! This program is open to EVERYONE at our school, regardless of income. Please see the flyer below for more information and to sign up! Click the picture for the link, or use the link here: https://fs27.formsite.com/brighterbites/enroll23/fill?id82=707&id161=1

If you want to volunteer to help bag the pallets of fresh produce, then click HERE!

https://www.schoolcafe.com/springisd

Please visit the website above to see the menus for each week. If you click on the third button (View Menus (as a guest)), you can navigate to Hirsch Elementary to see what's being served each week. Please be aware that menus can change due to available inventory.

We want to show our Hawks that the sky is the limit when it comes to how high they can fly! On Wednesdays we ask all students and staff to wear their favorite college, university or military shirt!

• Parents may send treats to their child’s class.
• Only store bought cupcakes or cookies (no peanut butter or nuts)
• Sent with child or dropped at office
• Parent may NOT come to class
• Teacher’s discretion when to do cupcakes (not at lunch due to regulations)
• No goodie bags, balloons, etc.