Eagle News

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the start of an incredible 2026–2027 school year at Houston Elementary! Our team has been hard at work preparing a safe, engaging, and joyful environment where every single student can soar.

To celebrate the start of our new journey together, parents are welcome to walk their students directly to their classrooms on the first day of school only. Starting on day two, students will foster their independence by walking to class with the guidance of our dedicated staff. In addition we will begin to host parents for lunch on the 4th week of school, starting the week of September 15th. Please remember parents are welcome to eat lunch with their child only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays beginning September 15th. More details and specific information regarding lunch procedures will follow in the next newsletter.

Please take a few minutes to read this entire Smore newsletter.

It contains crucial updates regarding our updated campus safety procedures, drop-off and pickup routines, attendance policies, and upcoming campus events. Staying fully informed is the best way to ensure a seamless and successful start for your child.

Thank you for your partnership, trust, and shared commitment to our Eagles. We are going to make this a wonderful year together!

Warmly,

Principal Tarpley

Check out our new Instagram page where we celebrate all the wonderful things happening under our school's new leadership! JHouston_AustinISD

Our Priority: Safe & Efficient Dismissal

Dismissal is a coordinated process. Our primary goal is to deliver every student to you safely and quickly. Thank you in advance for your patience and support as we work together to keep the line moving smoothly!

🔑 Key Reminders Before You Arrive

• Display Your Dismissal Number: Always keep your dismissal number clearly visible in your car’s front windshield.

• Tags & Numbers: We will be issuing new car hangtags and backpack tags soon. In the meantime, feel free to use your previous tags—your assigned dismissal numbers do not change.

• Screen System: Students stay safely in their designated waiting areas until their number turns yellow on the screen, signaling them to head out to your vehicle.

• Sibling Pick-Up: Students with siblings will be picked up together at the youngest sibling's assigned location.

🚗🚶🏽🚶🏼‍♀️ Pick-Up Procedures by Area

Pre-K3 & Pre-K4 (Lemon Dr.)

• Where They Wait: Students wait safely inside their classrooms.

• Siblings: Older siblings will be brought directly to the Pre-K classrooms by our staff.

• Dismissal Flow: Once the student’s number turns yellow on screen, staff will guide and escort them directly outside to their vehicle or walking parent.

K–2nd Grade & SpEd / Bus (Ponciana Dr.)

• Where They Wait: K–2 students wait in their classrooms.

• Siblings: Older siblings will be brought to the K–2 wing by our staff.

• Dismissal Flow: When their number turns yellow on screen, students are escorted outside to their car line.

• SpEd & Bus Riders: Dedicated SpEd staff directly escort all SpEd students and bus riders to their designated pick-up areas.

3rd–5th Grade (Jacaranda Dr.)

• Where They Wait: 3rd–5th grade students wait together in the gym.

• Dismissal Flow: Once their number turns yellow on the gym screen, staff escorts students to Jacaranda Dr. to meet their parents.

Guía de Salida para Padres de Familia 2026/2027

Nuestra Prioridad: Una Salida Segura y Eficiente

La salida es un proceso coordinado. Nuestro objetivo principal es entregarle a cada estudiante de manera segura y rápida. ¡Agradecemos de antemano su paciencia y apoyo mientras trabajamos juntos para mantener el flujo del tráfico de forma constante!

🔑 Recordatorios Clave Antes de Llegar

• Muestre su Número de Salida: Mantenga siempre su número de salida claramente visible en el parabrisas delantero de su vehículo.

• Etiquetas y Números: Pronto entregaremos las nuevas etiquetas para autos y mochilas. Mientras tanto, pueden usar sus etiquetas anteriores; los números asignados no cambian.

• Sistema de Pantallas: Los estudiantes permanecerán seguros en sus áreas de espera asignadas hasta que su número cambie a amarillo en la pantalla, lo que les indicará que pueden salir hacia su vehículo.

• Recogida de hermanos: Los estudiantes con hermanos serán recogidos juntos en el lugar asignado al hermano(a) menor.

🚗🚶🏽🚶🏼‍♀️ Procedimientos de Recogida por Área

Pre-K3 y Pre-K4 (Lemon Dr.)

• Dónde esperan: Los estudiantes esperan de manera segura dentro de sus salones de clase.

• Hermanos: Nuestro personal llevará a los hermanos mayores directamente a los salones de Pre-K.

• Flujo de Salida: Una vez que el número del estudiante cambie a amarillo en la pantalla, el personal lo guiará y acompañará directamente afuera hasta su vehículo o con el familiar que viene caminando.

K a 2.º Grado y Educación Especial (SpEd) / Autobús (Ponciana Dr.)

• Dónde esperan: Los estudiantes de K a 2.º grado esperan en sus salones de clase.

• Hermanos: Nuestro personal llevará a los hermanos mayores al ala de K–2.

• Flujo de Salida: Cuando su número cambie a amarillo en la pantalla, los estudiantes serán acompañados afuera a la fila de vehículos.

• Estudiantes de Educación Especial y Autobús: El personal especializado acompañará directamente a todos los estudiantes de Educación Especial y del autobús a sus áreas de recogida asignadas.

3.º a 5.º Grado (Jacaranda Dr.)

• Dónde esperan: Los estudiantes de 3.º a 5.º grado esperan juntos en el gimnasio.

• Flujo de Salida: Una vez que su número cambie a amarillo en la pantalla del gimnasio, el personal acompañará a los estudiantes a Jacaranda Dr. para reunirse con sus padres.

As we prepare for the transition into our new building next school year, we wanted to share a few important updates to campus systems and procedures. These changes are based on feedback gathered through Principal Coffees, CAC meetings, and family survey responses.

The following changes will be made:

1. To better support student behavior, routines, and learning on some of the most challenging days of the week, parent lunch visits will now take place Tuesday–Thursday only. This means parents will not be permitted to join students for lunch on Mondays or Fridays.

2. Additionally, due to the design and capacity of the cafeteria in the new building, family seating will be located outside only. Lunch visits will therefore be weather permitting, as rain, cold temperatures, or other weather conditions may impact outdoor seating availability.

3. We will also be adjusting our tardy time. Beginning next school year, students will be marked tardy at 8:00 AM instead of 8:05 AM. Breakfast in the classroom will continue to be served from 7:30–7:50 AM, with all breakfast items collected promptly at 7:50 to prepare for the start of instruction at 8:00. Arriving on time is incredibly important, as students who arrive late miss out on breakfast, morning meeting, social-emotional learning, and valuable instructional time at the start of the day.

As we continue preparing for the move into the new building, additional adjustments to systems and procedures may be made over the summer and communicated prior to the start of the school year.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In order to ensure that our campus remains a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for everyone, we ask that you please review the following key safety guidelines from our campus safety plan.

Our Safety & Preparedness Protocols

• Crisis Planning: Each school year, all campus personnel review our comprehensive crisis management plan, which includes updated evacuation and emergency procedures.

• Practice Drills: Throughout the school year, students and staff participate in routine drills to practice procedures for evacuations, lock-outs, lock-downs, and severe weather.

Visitor & Volunteer Safety Procedures

• Visitor Badges: All visitors must check in at the front desk and wear a visible Visitor Badge on their shirt (placed near the collarbone area). Please remember to bring a government-issued ID each time you visit campus so we can check you in properly. No entrance to our campus will be permitted without a government issued ID.

• Badge Details: Your badge will list the specific area of campus or event you are visiting.

• Changing Locations: We love our volunteers! However, if your volunteer work or visit takes you to a different location than originally logged (for example, moving from the library to a classroom or cafeteria), you must stop by the main office to update your Visitor Badge.

• Staff Checks: Our staff members have been asked to help monitor visitor badges. If you are in an area not listed on your badge, staff will kindly redirect you to the front office for an update.

"The safety and security of our students and staff is always at the forefront of everything we do."

Thank you for your partnership and cooperation in keeping our Eagles safe every single day. Should you ever have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to the office.

To help keep our campus safe and minimize disruptions to instructional time, please review our procedures for visiting campus, checking students in and out, and attending school events.

🆔 Campus Visitor Policy

• Government-Issued ID Required: All visitors must present a valid government-issued photo ID and check in at the front desk every time they visit campus.

🚙 Student Check-In & Check-Out

• Signing Students Out: Only a parent, guardian, or designated emergency contact with a government-issued photo ID is permitted to sign a student out.

• Arrival for Pickup: To keep students safe and protect instructional time, students will not be called to the office until the authorized adult has physically arrived on campus. Please plan accordingly for off-campus appointments.

• Late Arrivals (After 7:45 AM): If your child arrives after 7:45 AM, a parent or guardian must walk them into the building entrance to sign them in. Please do not drop your child off at the curb.

⏰ Note Regarding Attendance & Tardies:

• 8:00-9:45 AM: Students arriving during this window are counted tardy.

• After 9:45 AM: Students arriving after 9:45 AM are counted absent for the day.

• We highly recommend scheduling medical or personal appointments at the end of or after the school day whenever possible.

🎟️ Event RSVPs & Fast-Pass Check-In

• Visitor Badges: Parents attending school events must check in at the front office to receive a visitor badge before entering the main building. Government ID is required to be presented.

• Pre-Printed Badges: To streamline entry for designated busy school events, we will send out event RSVPs in advance so our front office team can pre-print badges.

• First-Time Visitors: Please note that pre-printed badges are only available for returning visitors already in our system. First-time visitors must have their ID scanned in person at the front desk. Please plan accordingly to ensure you give yourself enough time to check in. The school only has one raptor system for check-in and there is often a long line of parents needing to check in.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in keeping our Eagles safe and focused on learning!

Please keep in mind that routine is important for your student & the staff. With that in mind, we understand that transportation changes are necessary sometimes. For that reason, we’ve outlined below the steps to take for making such changes.

** TEMPORARY (SHORT-TERM) **

If you need to make a change in transportation for a short time only (one or two days), please contact your child’s classroom teacher, and also notify the front office via phone or email: 512-414-2517 or houstonelementary@austinisd.org. You can also send a note with your child to give to the teacher at the beginning of the school day. NOTE: Any changes must be submitted to the office (including last minute phone calls on the same day) BEFORE 2:00 pm each day.

August

• August 12th Campus Registration Day 8:00-3:30pm
• August 13th Campus Registration Day 8:00-3:30pm
• August 14th Campus Registration Day 9:00-3:00pm
• August 14th Join the PTA and Meet the Community 2:00-2:30pm
• August 14th-Meet the Teacher 2:30-3:30 pm
• August 18th-First Day of School 🎉

September

• September 7th- Labor Day-No School
• September 14th- CAC Meeting at 3:30 (anyone can attend)
• September 14-18th Book Fair
• September 15th- PTA Meeting 5:30-6:30
• September 17th- Back to School Night 5:30-7:00pm (Details to come)
• September 21st- Staff/Student Holiday, Yom Kippur

As we work every day to ensure our campuses are safe havens for learning, we also want to support safety in our homes. Per House Bill 121, I want to share a quick reminder about the importance of safe gun storage. We know that practicing safe storage—keeping firearms unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition—is one of the most effective ways to prevent accidents and keep our children safe.

Under Texas law, it is a legal responsibility to ensure that firearms are not accessible to children. Making a firearm accessible to a minor can result in significant legal consequences, but more importantly, it can lead to preventable tragedies. I encourage everyone to take a moment this week to review your storage habits at home. For free resources, including tips on how to talk to your kids about gun safety or where to find free gun locks, please visit SafeGunStorageTexas.com. Let’s keep looking out for one another!

I am beyond grateful to do this work alongside such a dedicated team. Let’s keep that collaborative spirit going as we head into a great week!

Want to Volunteer?

Are you interested in volunteering at Houston? We'd love to have you! Austin ISD uses Voly for all volunteers in our school and everyone is required to sign up through the system. Volunteers must be renewed each school year. Please see below for information on how to sign up to volunteer at our school:

Volunteer Requirements and Application Process

To ensure student safety and maintain a secure environment, all volunteers must meet the following requirements:

• Complete a Volunteer Application, which must be renewed each school year.
  • The application takes approximately five minutes to complete and should be submitted as early as possible.
  • Applications can take up to five business days to process.
• Pass a background check as part of the Volunteer Application process.
• Present your photo ID at the campus to be scanned into Raptor.
• Represent yourself and Austin ISD in a professional manner and treat students, staff, and other volunteers with respect.

Additional Information:

The Volunteer Application is separate from the campus Raptor check-in process, which ensures all names are screened for safety and security purposes. All campus visitors are required to sign in and print either a visitor or volunteer badge.

How to Become a Volunteer

1. Create an Account: Visit austinisd.voly.org to sign up.
2. Complete the Application: Fill out your profile, select the schools you’d like to volunteer with, and submit the required information, including:
   • Full name
   • Email address
   • Address
   • Confidentiality agreement
   • Volunteer guidelines acknowledgment
   • Background check consent form
3. Pass the Background Check: Background checks typically take 2 hours to 5 days to process.
   • You must wait until your background check is cleared before volunteering.
   • Once cleared, you will receive a notification email confirming your approval.
4. Find Opportunities: After receiving your clearance, explore and sign up for volunteer opportunities that match your interests.