Kaufman Paw Print

What a great first week back we had here at Kaufman! Our students had a great week of learning and celebrations. Be sure to see our weekly video below. We celebrated some Cool Cougars on Friday and will have that video up next week. Saturday we had 7 artists represent Kaufman at the Western Art Show. Their artwork featured below was beautiful and we are proud of each and everyone of them. A big 'thank you' to Mrs. Rowley for all she does to help grow our artists each year.

This week our students will be taking their middle of the year MAP testing. This assessment helps teachers understand students growth and plan instruction to meet their needs. MAP is not timed and does not require studying. It simply shows what students know and what they are ready to learn next. How you can help:

• Ensure students arrive on time.
• Encourage a good night's sleep.
• Make sure students eat breakfast or arrive by 7:45AM to eat breakfast at school.
• Remind your child to do their best and take their time.

Thank you for helping us make testing days successful for our students!

Our robotics team will compete on Saturday and we can't wait to see how they do. All students and staff will enjoy a 3 day weekend as we have January 19th off for a school holiday. Our next Paw Print will be sent out on Monday, January 19th. We hope you all have a wonderful week!

• January 13-16 - Middle of the Year MAP Testing for all students
• January 15 - District Human Trafficking webinar
• January 17 - Robotics competition

• January 19 - School Holiday, weekly Paw Print will be sent out
• January 20 - CISD School Board Meeting 6:00PM
• January 22 - PTO meeting 10:30AM

• January 26-30 - Spring GT testing window
• January 29 - 100th day of school - kindergarten, Health & Wellness night 6:00-7:30PM
• January 30 - 101st day of school - 1st grade

Check out The Cougar Pride PTO Newsletter

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If you are interested in becoming a WatchD.O.G.S. please click the title link for our presentation. If you have questions about the program please email Dr. Blackshire at tblackshire@conreoisd.net

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and we are committed to equipping families with the knowledge and tools needed to keep students safe. Please help us spread the word by sharing this important opportunity with parents and your school community.

This one-hour session offers an overview of what human trafficking looks like in real-life contexts. Families will learn how trafficking happens, who is most at risk, key warning signs, and practical steps for prevention and reporting.

Human Trafficking Awareness Webinar

Flyer: Link

Presented by: Crime Stoppers
Date: Thursday, January 15
Time: 6:30–7:30 PM

Join via Google Meet:
https://meet.google.com/kxv-quhc-too
Dial-in: +1 347-569-5890 | PIN: 449 789 135#

Wellness Works: A Mental Health Series

Hosted by the School Counseling Department | 6:30–7:30 p.m.

• Feb. 19 – Screenagers: The Next Chapter (Film Screening in Person) (Jett)

• Apr. 9 – Facing Anxiety: Tools for Students and Families with Yes to Youth (Webinar)

More details and registration to come. Link

We now have 4 ways for parents to notify the school about transportation requests. As we all learn the new feature in the CISD App, we will continue to take email requests through the Kaufman Transportation Changes email below. We will phase out the email by December and just utilize the CISD App, parent notes and phone calls.

The ability for parents to request transportation changes at elementary and intermediate schools is active in the Cases app on the SSO. This is the same app that was used last year for parents to report absences. Parents can select their student and notify the school of the transportation request. This features automatically sends the teacher a notification. The front office will pull the request and continue to send the paper transportation change to students before dismissal.

If you need to change your child's transportation from their typical way home, please send a note with your child to school or call our front desk by 2:00pm. Your note should include your child's name, teacher and how they are to go home.

Example of note:

• My son, John Smith in Mrs. Kaufman's 4th grade class will be a walker today only. From: Mom Smith

Parents/guardians can now send an email to: kaufmantransportationchanges@conroeisd.net

Please include in your email:

• Student full name
• Student's date of birth
• Homeroom teacher
• Form of transportation change requested
• Date or date range for the transportation request change
• Parent name and phone number

The email must come from one of the emails we have on file for your student's account and be received by 2:00 pm. A "received" reply will be sent once processed.

If there are any questions regarding the transportation change request, a phone call will be made to the parent/guardian.

Parents/guardians can continue to call the front office with transportation changes.

We want to remind families about the importance of students bringing their SMART Tags every day. These tags are not only used for transportation, but also for recording when a student arrives at school and for purchasing lunch. It is extremely important that students keep up with their tags and have them with them daily.

All students were provided with a tag at the beginning of the school year, and some students have been given additional tags to ensure they have one available. Beginning December 1st, each student will be provided with only one replacement tag at no cost. After that, parents will need to pay $1 per replacement tag that must be printed for their child.

Thank you for helping us ensure a smooth and safe process for all of our students!

Parents please sign up for the SMART tag™ Parent App, as we are no longer providing Bus Hubs to notify parents of bus delays. This app offers real-time updates on their

child’s school bus, including arrival alerts, and notifications for delays or route changes.

It's a reliable and convenient way to stay informed about their child's transportation. Simply instruct them to download the app, register, and link their child’s student ID to start receiving updates. The following link will provide parents with instructions on how to register.

SMART tag Parent App Instructions

All Parents:

Medications must be kept in the clinic. If your child needs medication during the school day, you must check it in with the school nurse. Medications cannot be transported on the school bus.

Kinder- 1st Grade Parents:

Accidents happen. Please make sure your child has a change of clothes daily labeled and in their backpack. This is especially helpful after rain events when students get muddy.

We are excited to announce a new feature that will enable you to submit student absences directly through an app in the Parent Portal.

This application is designed to report only full day absences and offers multiple options when selecting a reason for the absence; be it illness related or not. The app will take the place of needing to call in or send an email to report an absence to the Attendance office.

However, if your child has been evaluated by a physician prior to returning, all doctor notes will still need to be sent in either upon return to school or emailed to our Registrar at mfournier@conroeisd.net. Directions for using the Absence Reporting App can be found here.

We look forward to providing this new and convenient option for all future absence reporting!

Home Access Center is an important information hub for all of our families. You can access so many things that are vital for your family's day to day access to our campus. Below are some items you will find in home access.

Are you following our social media accounts? We often send out helpful reminders, pictures of kids in action, and upcoming events...delivered right to your newsfeed!