The Weekly Update #4

Dear Walker Families,

The wait is almost over! We are so excited to welcome your students back to campus this Thursday. The energy around our school is building, our teachers have spent the week putting the final touches on their classrooms, and the entire staff is ready to kick off an unforgettable year.

Whether you are returning to familiar hallways or joining our school family for the very first time, please know how thrilled we are to partner with you. This year, as we stay rooted in strong relationships and high expectations, we can’t wait to watch our students rise to new heights.

To help ensure our first morning goes as smoothly as possible for everyone, please make note of the following arrival and departure procedures:

Morning Arrival:

• Doors will open at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria between 7:00 and 7:30.
• Students are in classrooms beginning at 7:30. The tardy bell rings at 7:40.
• Bikers and walkers enter through the main entrance.
• You may walk your student to class on the first day of school ONLY. Beginning on day two, a welcoming Walker staff member will assist students with finding their place.

Afternoon Dismissal:

• If you are changing your student's typical dismissal arrangement, the expectation is to call the front office before 2:30. Do not message the change to your child's teacher. Teachers are teaching bell to bell and often do not have the opportunity to see messages before the end of the day.
• After a full day of learning, the dismissal bell will ring at 3:05.
• Walkers will dismiss from door #10, which exits from the cafeteria.
• Bikers will be walked with a staff member from the front of the school to door #10 to dismiss.

If you are new to Walker, the following video is a helpful visual for arrival and dismissal procedures.

Afternoon campuses!

You have likely seen our buses out and about over the last couple of days as drivers complete route practice and preparation for the start of school.

As always, please expect some late buses during the first two weeks of school. However, due to the significant amount of construction throughout our community, the limited on- and off-ramps to I-30, and the limited thoroughfares available to cross the district, you should anticipate that buses will experience delays throughout the entire school year.

Bus riders: you must have your ID badge to ride! Once your badge is issued to you, keep up with it. Replacement badges can be printed for $5.

For the first two weeks of school, any Pre-K through 2nd grade student who does not have an authorized adult present at the bus stop will be returned to their elementary campus.

For special education students who require a positive handoff, this procedure remains in effect throughout the entire school year, regardless of grade level. If no authorized adult is available, the student will be returned to their campus.

Our Dispatch team will make every effort to contact parents before a student is returned to campus. Even with those efforts, it is common for each elementary campus to have several returned students during the first week of school.

If you have questions about your student's bus route, please use the Stopfinder app. You can find a link to this app on the RCISD website.

Thank you again for your partnership and support as we work together to ensure a safe and successful start to the school year.

As we kick off the year, please review two important updates regarding our cafeteria routines:

• No Third-Party Food Deliveries: To maintain campus security and prevent instructional and operational disruptions, food deliveries from services like DoorDash, UberEats, or Grubhub will not be accepted for students. Any orders delivered to the front office will be turned away. If your student forgets their lunch, they may pick up a standard meal in the cafeteria or receive a delivered lunch dropped off directly by a parent/guardian.

• Parent Lunch Visits Resume Soon: We love hosting family visitors! Parent lunch visits will officially begin on Monday, September 14th. This initial window gives our students time to master cafeteria routines, bond with peers, and adjust to their daily schedules.

All campus volunteers must complete a background check for the 2026-2027 school year. Please take a moment to complete the online form linked below.

8/13 - First Day of School

8/27 - Camp Grady Spruce Family Information Meeting

9/3 - Back to School Night 4:30-6:00

9/1-9/4 - RCHS HOCO Week

9/7 - Labor Day Holiday

9/11 - Patriot Day/First Responders Day

9/14-9/18 - Celebrate Freedom Week

9/15-10/15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

9/15 - International Dot Day

9/16 - All-Pro Dads

9/21-9/22 - Student Holiday

9/25 - American Indian Heritage Day, Grandfriends Night 4:30-6:00