Pony Express
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER OF O. HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Dear Mustang Families,
We had a wonderful first week back from Thanksgiving break, and our classrooms are in full swing as we enter the final two weeks before our long winter holiday. We’re bringing joy to campus each day with our “December to Remember” dress-up days for students and staff. Please see the dress-up calendar and we hope your Mustang joins the fun.
We’re also kicking off an exciting campus event through ACES homerooms: a Mustang Naming Contest. Our bronze Mustang statue at the front entrance needs an official name, and our students will decide. We’ll share the results as soon as voting is complete.
As we close out the semester, families are invited to join us for our winter concerts, showcases, and performances across fine arts and athletics. We look forward to celebrating everything our Mustangs have learned and created.
Special Education Teacher Appreciation Week
This week, we celebrated our incredible Special Education team. Each teacher received a mug filled with winter goodies and a Starbucks gift card as a small token of our deep appreciation.
Thank you to our Special Education Teachers for the support, advocacy, and care you provide every day for O. Henry students. And a big thank you to our PTA for helping us recognize and honor our teachers' important work.
Car, Bus, Bike, and Walking Transportation
Bus Transportation: Students who take AISD buses will be picked up and dropped off on Wayside Dr on the east side of the property. The map to the side shows our bus lane. Families use the Where's the Bus through the AISD Portal or the phone app to track bus arrival times. Students pick up and drop off in the same place on Wayside Drive. Link to AISD's Bus Transportation Department homepage with contact information. Families seeking a "bus pass" to ride a route that they are not zoned to cannot be placed on routes for the first two weeks of school until space for zoned riders is confirmed. More information is available 7:45 am to 4:45 pm Monday though Friday at 512-414-0238.
Car Riders, Walkers, and Map: We understand that car dropoff can be a stressful time for families, especially at the beginning of the year for unfamiliar drivers and passengers. The map to the side shows the main drop off areas as well as the bus lane. While we do not close the street to eastbound traffic, having cars travel westbound on 10th Street is the safest option so that students do not have to cross in front of traffic or risk opening doors into traffic.
Staying on Campus Once Dropped Off: A reminder to all students, whether walkers, car riders, or bus riders, that once your mode of transportation has brought you to campus, you may not leave the campus to visit HEB, 7/11, or other locations. Students may not leave the property without being checked out by their guardian.
