Roark Weekly Newsletter
July 2026/julio de 2026
Dear Roark Parents and Guardians,
Thank you so much for your incredible generosity in sending in candy for the parade and for volunteering your time to help decorate our school float! Our community spirit truly shined, and we could not have done it without your support.
This week has been an absolute whirlwind of excitement. Our students loved hosting several community helper visitors, including a baker, a fireman, and a construction worker. The learning continues next week as we look forward to a special visit from the fire department!
Please take note of these important upcoming dates and reminders:
- Fall Picture Day: Tuesday, October 6th. Don't forget to send your students to school with their biggest smiles!
- Early Dismissal: Friday, October 9th at 12:55 PM.
- ECSE 3 Schedule Change: On Friday, October 9th, the AM session will run from 8:10 AM to 10:30 AM, and the PM session will run from 10:30 AM to 12:55 PM.
- Fall Break: October 12th through October 16th. There will be no school for students during this week.
We hope you enjoy this well-deserved time with your children. Hopefully, you can all get outside to enjoy the beautiful fall weather and changing autumn colors!
As a final reminder, if you have any schedule updates, please use the links below to submit your transportation changes and attendance emails:
Dismissal Transportation Change- https://reec.willisisd.org/transportation-changes
Submit an Attendance Note- https://reec.willisisd.org/doctorsnote
Warmly,
Calandra Lewis, Principal
Roark Early Education Center
Dear Roark Families,
We have a few important reminders and celebrations to share with you!
🔎 Lost & Found
Is your child missing a jacket, water bottle, lunchbox, or other item? Our Lost & Found continues to grow! Please scan the QR code below to view our current lost items. If you recognize something that belongs to your child, please contact the school so we can help reunite the item with its owner.
🎉 Congratulations to Our Perfect Attendance Students!
We are proud to celebrate our Roark students who achieved perfect attendance! Each student received a certificate recognizing this accomplishment, along with a gift certificate to visit McAlister’s for a special treat. Congratulations to our students and families for this wonderful achievement!
🏫 Attendance Matters at Roark!
Our yearly attendance goal is 94%, and every school day matters. Regular attendance helps our students build routines, strengthen their skills, and make the most of their learning experiences.
We also understand that children get sick, and we do not want you to send your child to school when they are sick. When your child is absent due to illness, please remember to send a doctor’s note or parent note explaining the absence.
Attendance notes should be sent to: https://reec.willisisd.org/doctorsnote
Thank you for partnering with us to help our students attend school regularly, stay healthy, and continue to learn and GROW together!
Warmly,
Emily Loney, Assistant Principal
Roark Early Education Center
We Play. We Learn. We GROW…Together!
📚 Books We’re Reading
This week we will be reading A Firetruck Named Red, Busy Builders, Busy Week!, and Me and My Cars**.
We will also enjoy 10 Black Dots and 10 Noisy Vehicles as we connect literacy and math through books.
SEL — I Can Respect Others
**PK4.I.C.6:** Child demonstrates empathy and caring for others.
We are learning that respecting others means using kind words and actions, listening to others, taking turns, and noticing how other people are feeling.
**Try it at home:** Look for opportunities to practice respect during everyday routines. Encourage your child to help a family member, take turns, listen while someone else is talking, or ask someone, **“Are you okay?”** when they are upset.
Point out respectful behavior when you see it: *“You waited while I was talking. That was respectful.”*
Language & Literacy — I Can Talk About What Is the Same and Different
**PK4.III.D.2:** Child uses information learned from books by describing, relating, categorizing, or comparing and contrasting.
We are learning to look closely at two things and talk about how they are **the same** and how they are **different**.
**Try it at home:** Choose any two objects—two shoes, two toys, two foods, or even two family members! Ask your child, **“What is the same about these?”** and **“What is different?”**
For example, compare a car and a truck. *They both have wheels, but the truck is bigger.*
Math — I Can Count Up to 10 Things and Say How Many
**PK4.V.A.3:** Child counts up to 10 items and understands that the last number counted tells how many are in the group.
We are practicing touching or moving **one object for each number** as we count and then telling how many there are altogether.
**Try it at home:** Practice with anything you already have! Count crackers at snack time, socks while folding laundry, toy cars, spoons, blocks, or rocks from outside. After your child counts, ask, **“So, how many are there?”** This helps your child understand that the last number counted tells how many are in the whole group.
Science — I Can Explore and Talk About Things From the Earth
**PK4.VI.C.1:** Child observes, investigates, describes, and discusses earth materials and their properties and uses.
We are exploring natural materials such as **rocks, soil, sand, leaves, and sticks** and learning to describe what we notice about them.
🌱 We play. We learn. We GROW…Together!
Nursery Rhyme of the Week
Dear Roark Families,
Nursery rhymes are an important part of Pre-K learning! They help children build vocabulary, develop listening skills, hear rhyming words and sounds, strengthen memory, and practice speaking with confidence. Singing and reading nursery rhymes together also create special moments for bonding and learning through play. Please enjoy this rhyme with your child—say it, sing it, act it out, memorize it and have fun! When your child has memorized each rhyme, please sign and date in the box next to it so that we know your child is ready to share the rhyme with the class.
🩺 A Message from the Nurse 🩺
Roark PreK Families,
My goal is to keep every child safe, comfortable, and ready to learn.
Because our Pre-K students are so young, managing their health is a team effort. Please review these quick health reminders:
- When to Stay Home: Keep your child home if they have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. Students must be completely fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine before returning to school.
- Change of Clothes: Please send a complete extra set of labeled clothes (shirt, pants, underwear, and socks) in a Ziploc bag for your child's backpack. Accidents happen, and this helps them get back to class quickly.
- Medications: If your child needs medication during the school day, it must be brought to the clinic by a parent/guardian in its original, labeled container with a signed doctor's form.
- Contact Info: Always make sure your phone numbers and emergency contacts are up to date with the front office so I can reach you immediately if needed.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, allergies, or health concerns regarding your child. You can contact me at: Phone: 936-890-7275 Fax: 936-890-1342 Email: kennis@willisisd.org
Warmly,
GROW With Us!
We need your support!
Do you enjoy reading with children, helping students with academics, assisting teachers, or volunteering during school events? Are you looking for a meaningful way to spend a few hours during the day or give back to your child's school community?
There are so many ways to make a difference, and we'd love to have you PLAY, LEARN, and GROW with US!
Whether you can volunteer once a month or once a week, your time and talents can have a lasting impact on our students.
LINK to complete the WISD Campus Volunteers & Visitors Application
*Must be completed in order to volunteer at all WISD schools.
🌺Please complete the Google Form below to let us know how you'd like to help support GrowingWith Us at Roark. We can't wait to partner with you!
