NSE News
Nichols Sawmill Elementary Parent Newsletter
Off to a Great Start!
Here are some helpful reminders as we get back into the swing of things!
Transportation Changes
- Send a note or call the front office
- No changes after 2:45
NEW***
We now have a linked transportation change form on the NSE Website. Changes on the form must be submitted before 2:00!
Look for updates on the NSE Website at magnoliaisd.org
Bus Information
You can view your child's bus routes through the Versatrans e-Link system. Click here for instructions.
Additionally, you can download the MyStop mobile app which will allow parents to track their student's bus locations and arrival times, as well as receive notifications on delays. Parents can use a mobile device, tablet, or desktop to view this information. You can find the app in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store.
Once you download the app, parents will need to select Magnolia ISD. Username is the student ID and the password is the student's birthday with the four-digit year (ex: October 1, 2005 - 10012005). The app will group all of the parent's children together. At the top of the screen next to the student's name is a drop-down arrow that will give a list of all children in that family.
You can find more information including how to find your bus route, request bus changes, and more by clicking here.
Car Rider Procedures
Thank you for helping our car rider drop-off and pick-up go smoothly. Reminders for safety . . .
- Stay in car! We will put your child in.
- Pull to middle of parking lot out of moving line's path if buckling is needed.
- No use of cell phones in car rider line or school zone
- Must have car tag starting Monday, 8/15/22, or will need to park and go into NSE to pick up one at front desk before student is released
Attendance
Remember, notes from the doctor or parent must be turned in within 5 days.
Free & Reduced Lunch Policy
MISD Meal Application Information
Federal waivers providing free meals for all students the last 2 years have now expired.
Parents must complete an application for students to be eligible for Free or Reduced meals.
Only one application is needed for each household unless the application is for a foster child, run away, homeless or migrant student.
Students who were eligible for free or reduced meals for the 2021-2022 school year will be on the same status temporarily until September 23, 2022. Parents will need to complete a new application for 2022-2023 in order to continue receiving these benefits. Any students without a new application will return to full price status beginning September 24, 2022.
Paper or online applications can be submitted at any time during the school year.
Online applications are available online at www.heartlandapps.com.
Paper applications are available at the NSE front desk as well as at the Food Service Office, located at 110 South Magnolia Boulevard, Magnolia, Texas 77355. Food Service Office hours are 7:00 am-3:30 pm, Monday-Friday. If you have any questions please call (281)252-2231.
The charge policy is in the student handbook page 74.
Meal Viewer is on the website.
The food allergy form has been sent to all school nurses.
FYI - We are now selling ice cream ala carte on Fridays,it is a $1.00 each.
Visitors at Lunch
- Visitors must sign in through the front office and wear appropriate badges.
- Guests must be on the student's approved contacts list.
- You may only invite your own child, not friends or any other students to join you.
- Eat at the designated table area in the hallway or in the outdoor learning center.
- Guest are not permitted to visit classrooms or other areas around the school without prior approval.
- Thank you for visiting!
Looking for a few good readers...
Back to School Information
Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year
- Theme: One Team, One Dream
- Quote: “Team work makes the dream work."
- Twitter Hashtag: #NSE1Team
At NSE, focusing on the fun as we're learning socially, emotionally, and academically is the key to our positive culture! From the activities teachers provide in the classroom to the events PTO sponsors throughout the year to the support and surprises we provide to our staff and students, NSE IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE! Stay tuned to future NSE NEWS where key topics regarding your child's education are always shared!
Returning Students Must Complete Annual Enrollment Verification
Parents/Guardians of returning students will need to verify student enrollment through the Frontline Parent Portal beginning July 1- 31. This process is to make sure the district has updated information for your student prior to the start of the school year. Student schedules and homeroom teacher names will not be released until verification forms are completed.
If you are a new student at Magnolia ISD and you already completed these forms, you do not need to complete this verification.
For students returning to MISD for the 2022-23 school year, please log in to Frontline Parent Portal and follow the verification process below:
Instructions for Enrollment Verification for Returning Students
Magnolia ISD 2022-2023 Back-to-School Information
Nichols Sawmill Kindergarten Camp: Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Texas Back-to-School Tax-free weekend: August 5 - 7, 2022
Magnolia ISD Elementary Meet the Teacher: Tuesday, August 9, 2022
First Day of School for Magnolia ISD: Thursday, August 11, 2022
Free and Reduced Meal Applications for 2022-2023
This fall, student meal rates return to all of our campuses.
- Student Breakfast: $1.25
- Adult Breakfast: $2.75
- Student Lunch: $2.45
- Adult Lunch: $4.25
Free and reduced meal applications will be available online on July 25, 2022, at www.heartlandapps.com. Paper applications will be available at the Celeste Graves Educational Support Center located at 31141 Nichols Sawmill Rd.
If you have questions, please contact the Child Nutrition Office at 281-252-2231.
Safety and Security at NSE
At Nichols Sawmill Elementary, we take the safety and security of our campus very seriously. Especially in light of recent tragedies, we continue to review and update safety procedures and practices. We know you have entrusted your most precious children to our care, and we are dedicated to putting safety first. Here are some aspects of our safety policies:
MISD is following all state guidelines pushed out to public schools on a weekly basis.
TRAINING
For the 5th year . . .
All new teachers, staff, and substitutes are required to participate in a 3-hour active shooter training course provided by ARC (Aware-Ready-Capable -- Trainer: Jeff Hine).
All returning staff plus new teachers, staff, and substitutes are required to participate in a 1-hour active shooter update provided by ARC.
All teachers trained with Safe and Civil Schools on direct supervision of students and properly maintaining order in classrooms and school common areas.
SECURITY/SAFETY
SROs are located on every campus. They take all precautions and check for security measures in regards to our students’ and staff’s safety.
Cameras are located around NSE and can be monitored at any time by the SRO plus school and district administrators.
Classroom doors are locked and closed.
Staff members wear MISD ID badges while on campus.
External door audit has been conducted to check for sturdy mullions (a bar that runs vertically between double doors), automatic door closures and locks, and emergency open mechanisms.
All visitors to the campus check in with the receptionist through the RAPTOR system and must wear a nametag at all times while they are visiting campus.
DRILLS
Students and staff are routinely trained:
Once-a-month fire drills
Once-a-semester surprise security drills
After drills, staff reflect upon drills with administrators.
If you have any questions or concerns about safety and secruity at NSE, please contact Carrie Quinn, Principal, or Joyce Stewart, Assistant Principal, at 281-252-2133 or email cquinn@magnoliaisd.org and jstewart@magnoliaisd.org
Kinder Camp 8/3/22
Nichols Sawmill Elementary
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
3:00 - 4:00
- Activities
- Recess
- Popsicles
- Friends
Meet the Teachers 8/9/22
- Reading Language Arts
- Math
- Science
- Social Studies
- Art
- Music
- PE
- Librarian
Say "hello" to old friends and make new ones!
NSE Information Fair 8/9/22
NSE Cafeteria
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
4:00 - 6:00 pm
- Transportation
- Child nutrition
- NSE PTO
- etc.
PTO will have shirts and snow cones, popcorn, etc. There will also be a silent auction with items and experiences available for you to bid on.
Let's Get Started!
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Thursday, August 11th, 2022
Early Morning Childcare
6:30 AM - 7:35 AM
FREE student care is offered before school to all PreK-4th graders. Please register online so you can drop off in the back at the cafeteria from 6:30 -7:35. After 7:35? Please go to the front car rider line!
Doors Open
7:45 AM
Students go straight to their classrooms to prepare materials for the day.
Car and bus drop-off
7:45 AM - 8:30 AM
Car drop-off in the front and bus drop-off in the back
Tardy Bell
8:30 AM
All students arriving to school after the 8:30 bell must stop at the front desk to pick up a tardy slip.
Academic Hours
8:30 AM - 3:40 PM
Backpacks
All students need a backpack. Rolling backpacks are not allowed for safety reasons.
Breakfast/Lunch
Breakfast and lunch are available for purchase each day from our cafeteria.
- Student Breakfast: $1.25
- Adult Breakfast: $2.75
- Student Lunch: $2.45
- Adult Lunch: $4.25
Birthday Treats
Is it your child's birthday? Would you like to have his/her class celebrate with your child? Since food brought from outside is no longer accepted (store-bought cupcakes or cookies or balloons!), we have a terrific option! MISD is offering some yummy options of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with icing, three varieties of Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, and two flavors of Capri Sun or water! If food is not your way to go, fun pencils, stickers, etc. are great birthday treats to share with a class as well! Please complete the form from your teacher and send back at least 2 weeks in advance so the cafeteria can ensure that your child's birthday treats are ordered and delivered to his/her classroom.
Dresscode
Please remember to follow the MISD dresscode which can be found at http://www.magnoliaisd.org. It addresses these topics:
- Hair color . . . No brightly dyed hair; Natural colors only (red, black, brown, blonde)
- Hairstyle . . . No mohawks or shaved designs in hair
- Shorts . . . Shorts should be longer than dropped fingertips.
- Spaghetti straps . . .Straps on shirts should be at least 3 fingers wide (girls)
Hygiene
Students will continuously be encouraged to practice great hygiene by washing their hands and using the hand sanitizer stations installed in all the classrooms and cafeteria.Labels & Backpack Tags
Please label your student's backpack, lunchkit, supply box, etc. PreK-2 students will receive a hard, plastic ID tag. It will be attached to the backpack so that our staff and bus drivers can identify your student quickly.
Lunch
If you are coming to eat lunch with your child, we will be allowing this starting Monday, August 22nd. Our parent dining area is in the PreK/K/1st hallway facing the outdoor learning center. Feel free to use the picnic table outside as well!
Masks
It is not required for elementary students to wear a face-covering/mask, but all are welcome to do so for safety reasons.
Reading
Keep reading! Keep reading! Keep reading!
SNACK & WATER BOTTLE (No glass!)
Students should bring a water bottle and a snack every day. The time of snack will be determined by the teacher. If the teacher requests snack donations, they must be storebought and completely packaged (nothing homemade or opened).
Visitors
All visitors to campus must check in at the front office and wear the nametag given at all times. We want to know who is with us always, so please remember to keep your nametag on and visible.
Early Morning Child Care
Magnolia ISD’s Early Morning Care Program is an optional, supplemental program operating as a separate entity apart from the regular school day. Target goals for staff-to-student ratios will be 1:30.
Student Expectations
Staff will communicate and enforce clear and consistent behavior expectations aligned with your child’s campus. Routine discipline matters will be handled at each campus location by the Early Morning Care staff and parents will be informed accordingly. More severe or more persistent issues may result in the Early Morning Care leadership notifying campus or district administration. School and district administration will act according to the Magnolia ISD Student Code of Conduct and may include removing the student from the Early Morning Care Program for a period of time or even permanently.
Registration
The Early Morning Care Program will be available for students at each of our elementary and intermediate campuses beginning at 6:30 a.m. on regular school days. The Early Morning Care Program is provided at no cost during the 2022-2023 school year.
All parents wanting to enroll their child for the 2022-2023 school year must complete online registration.
Transportation information for 2022-2023
Visit our website to learn more about how to login on August 3 to view your bus route and information and how to download the Versatrans MyStop app.
In order to view your child's bus route, please review the instructions here.
Login information is as follows:
Username: student ID
Password: student birthday (example: October 1, 2005 = 10012005)
Versatrans e-Link:
To access the e-link to view your child's bus information, click here.
New Transportation App
The District is excited to announce the implementation of a new application called Versatrans My Stop® which will allow parents to track their students’ bus locations and arrival times, as well as receive notifications on delays. Parents can use a mobile device, tablet, or desktop to view this information through a web browser. This feature will start on August 12th with the new school year.
The app is available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Once you download the app, parents will need to select Magnolia ISD. Username is the student ID and the password is the student's birthday with the four-digit year (example October 1, 2005 - 10012005).
After School Adventures Program
The After School Adventures Program provides a fun and educational environment where children are engaged and have a sense of belonging through adventurous and meaningful activities outside of school. The program operates at all Magnolia ISD elementary campuses to students in grades pre-k through 6.
We recognize that children have been in school all day and the intent is to provide students with a healthy blend of fun, meaningful, and adventurous activities to keep them engaged during their time after school. All activities are designed with educational enhancement in mind; however, the main emphasis and delivery method is fun!
The program has many academic and enrichment-based components and activities will rotate from movement to hands-on as children transition throughout the afternoon participating in STEM, literacy, physical fitness, creativity, problem-solving, college and career readiness, healthy living, leadership, family engagement opportunities, and more.
This low-cost program provides activities designed to keep students engaged however the main emphasis is fun.
Click here to learn more and to register.
NSE Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
6:30-7:35 AM Early Morning Childcare ARRIVAL
NSE EMC parent drop-off begins in the back of NSE.
You must register online for this program.
Please follow NSE’s following campus protocols for car rider drop-off:
Parents can drop off in the back of NSE (the bus lane).
Parents will pull to the unloading area and stay in vehicle as student exits.
An NSE staff member will be there to greet each student and to make sure he/she gets inside NSE safely.
Upon entering the cafeteria, students will check in with the cafeteria staff waiting inside and will either be seated OR have the opportunity to purchase breakfast (7:30 or after).
7:45 AM - 8:30 AM ARRIVAL/ENTRY OF NSE
Bus transportation will be available each day. You can check your child’s bus route here along with instructions on how to log in. Buses are scheduled to arrive on campus between 7:45 AM and 8:30 AM.
Car riders will begin exiting vehicles in the front of NSE when a staff member signals unloading (beginning at 7:45).
NOTE: Please look for communication from your child’s teacher requesting from you the mode of transportation for drop-off and pick-up at NSE. Please send a note (handwritten or email) or call the front desk to make a transportation change before 2:45 every day so we can ensure that your child’s teacher receives the message in time and that we can follow through with your request.
8:30 AM CLASS BEGINS
3:35 PM ANNOUNCEMENTS
3:40 PM BELL DISMISSAL
Bus rider dismissal
Students will be dismissed from their classrooms to load their buses when the all-call over the loud speaker for each arriving bus is made.
PreK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade teachers will walk their students to the buses to ensure they are getting on the correct bus.
Younger elementary students will sit in the front and older in the back.
Car rider dismissal
NSE registered hangtags (maroon and white) are required for a car rider parent to pick up a student in the car rider line. Please hang your tag on your rearview mirror so the car rider caller can see your number.
If you do not have one (or you’ve lost yours), please contact Mrs. Taylor to request a new one. ataylor3@magnoliaisd.org
When you join our car rider line, please pull behind the next waiting car. **We do have 8 previously-purchased car rider spots from our PTO raffles, so those spots in the very front of the line are the 8 cones in front of NSE. PTO will be auctioning these spots to 8 bidding families very soon!
Each student will be dismissed from his/her grade's lines in the front hallways as name/number are called.
- NO CELL PHONES in the car rider line! We want the safest environment for our students and staff at all times!
Please do not get out of your car while waiting for your student. We will ask you to pull forward if for some reason your student comes out later.
- As we usually have about 120 car riders . . . thank you for your patience in the car rider line!
We look forward to seeing your student at NSE no matter how he/she comes to school! Questions not answered? Please see the MISD website for more information OR contact your child’s teacher for any questions or concerns regarding drop-off or pick-up. Happy first day of 22-23!
Nichols Sawmill Elementary PTO
Nichols Sawmill Elementary PTO Facebook
PTO Boo Hoo / Woo Hoo Breakfast for Parents
August 12, 2022 ** Updated!
8:30 am
NSE LibraryThis event is for PK and Kinder parents (not students) to connect and celebrate with other parents. Our PTO will provide breakfast and share information about upcoming events.
School Supply Lists
2022-23 Attendance Updates
We know that good school attendance is one of the most important factors in student success - not only academic success in elementary school but in many areas throughout a child's life into adulthood.
Throughout the recent pandemic, we have transitioned through many different attendance policies in response to the health crisis posed by Covid. Due to advancements in the prevention, treatment, and overall understanding of this disease, we no longer have specific quarantine or attendance policies for Covid. As always, we encourage families to follow the advice and guidance of their child's medical professional and provide documentation for any absences to the school per the district attendance policy.
Magnolia ISD utilizes Attendance Works to provide research and guidance regarding school attendance. Their website, www.attendanceworks.org has many resources to help encourage positive attendance for schools, communities, and parents. Below we have linked some helpful information to get started:
Help Your Child Succeed in Preschool and Kindergarten Build the Habit of Good Attendance
Help Your Child Succeed in School: Build the Habit of Good Attendance Early
NSE Admin Team
Mrs . Woody - NSE Counselor
- 27th year as a counselor
Mrs . Quinn - NSE Principal
- 8th year as a principal
Mrs . Stewart - NSE Assistant Principal
- 5th year as AP
Nichols Sawmill Elementary
Email: jstewart@magnoliaisd.org
Website: https://nse.magnoliaisd.org/
Location: 28750 Nichols Sawmill Road, Magnolia, TX, USA
Phone: 281-252-2133
Twitter: @NicholSawmill