JNE'S Friday Newsletter

Dear Longhorn Families,

It has been a great week at Neill, and we are proud of the growth we are seeing from our students as they wrap up their MAP testing. Our Longhorns continue to show perseverance and determination, and we appreciate your partnership in supporting their learning at home and at school.

A big thank you to the parents who have been braving the cold mornings to help open car doors during arrival. We truly appreciate your support and the difference you make in helping our mornings run smoothly!

Thank you to all of the families who have ordered a Marco’s pizza in a box decorated by their child—what a fun way to celebrate student creativity while supporting our PTO! There is still time to place an order and we are grateful for your continued support of our PTO through this fundraiser.

As we look ahead to next week, we are excited to celebrate Counselor Appreciation Week and the 100th Day of School, begin State Interim Testing, and send our 2nd and 3rd grade students off on their upcoming field trips. It’s shaping up to be another busy and exciting week at Neill!

Upcoming Events

Week of February 2nd- Counselor Appreciation Week

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

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

Thursday, February 5th- 100th Day of School

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

Tuesday, February 10th- Second Grade Service Sentinel Field Trip- Group 1

Wednesday, February 11th- No One Eats Alone Day

Wednesday, February 11th- Spring Party Day (Gr. 3-5, SAILS II @9:15am & Gr K-2, SAILS I, ABC @ 2:15pm)

Thursday, February 12th- Early Release Day (Dismissal at 12:10pm)

Thursday, February 12th- Parent Conference Day

Friday, February 13th- Student Holiday/Campus Professional Development Day

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!

School Report Card-JNE

Federal Report Card-JNE

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

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

We are excited to share that the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge is coming to Neill! This schoolwide initiative teaches students the importance of staying active, caring for their hearts, and helping others. All donations and proceeds from this challenge directly support the American Heart Association and its lifesaving research, education, and programs for children with special hearts. We invite families to save the date, get registered, and consider participating in this meaningful opportunity to make a difference while building healthy habits together.

Kids Heart Challenge kicks off on 2/2/2026. This year’s event is more than just fun; it’s our school’s service project in partnership with the American Heart Association.

Click here: http://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=12402&pg=company&company_id=524456 for our school’s page where you can sign-up for free and see updates all the way through.

This is where your family can complete Finn’s Mission, and you can also track our progress toward our goals and the rewards the kids love!

Through this important program our school also earns equipment for PE or Recess and can apply for wellness grants! Thank you for supporting our school and the American Heart Association in building a Nation of Lifesavers!

Following the completion of another grading term, we are inviting families to share feedback through our Neill Elementary Family Involvement Surty. Your input is an important part of how we continue strengthening our partnership with families and growing together as a school community.

After our first nine weeks survey, families shared thoughtful feedback that led to several meaningful updates, including:

• Adjustments to dismissal procedures for families arriving after 3:45 PM

• Adding community-building opportunities at evening events so families can meet and connect with one another

• Including Long Range Boundary updates and information in our Friday newsletter

• An internal focus on strengthening communication between families and classrooms

We are grateful for the time families take to share their perspectives. Please know that your feedback is reviewed carefully and helps guide our decisions. We look forward to hearing from you again as we continue working to make Neill Elementary a welcoming, connected, and supportive place for all.

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

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 February! 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

JNE will not be able to host lunch visitors on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday due to State Interim/Field Testing

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