Suchma Soaring Eagle
October, 2020
#suchmagreatschool #bettertogether
October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
October kicks off National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Join us this Thursday, October 8, as we stand in solidarity to stop bullying and cyberbullying by wearing blue! Let's put an end to bullying in our schools and communities! Let's Change the Culture!
For Virtual Learners ONLY
For Our In Person Learners ONLY
Campus Procedure Changes Due to COVID
Please make sure you are aware of these changes for our on-campus learners...
- School hours are 8:00-3:10. Doors open at 7:35. We ask that students do not arrive prior to 7:35 so that we do not have large groups of students waiting outside.
- All Car Riders and Walkers/Bikers should have a pick up card for student pick up. For our older walkers/bikers, a card is not required for daily pick-up, but in the event of inclement weather, walker/biker parents can pick up their their children in the car rider line with their walker/biker card.
- Parents/visitors will NOT be allowed in the building until further notice. We ask that parents drop students off in the car rider line, or if walkers, drop them with staff waiting in the front, so that we keep our numbers at the front doors down to avoid large groups of people. We know this is not ideal, but if you prepare students for this, we are hoping for a smooth and happy start to the day.
- Children in grades 3-6 are required to wear a face mask while at school. Children in K-2 are strongly encouraged to wear a mask while at school. All students are expected to wear masks while transitioning, when within 6 feet of other students, and while riding the school bus. Wearing masks reduces the chance of being quarantined if a child is exposed to a person who tests positive for COVID-19. Masks protect students and staff, and they protect the school year. By wearing a mask, students increase the chances that in-person instruction can continue. By helping students to wear a mask, we will help them to gradually extend the amount of time they can wear them. All of our students are doing an amazing job with this!!
- Consider sending an extra mask. All students will receive a lanyard so that they can hook their mask to it to prevent losing them. Parents may want to send an extra mask in their backpacks with their name in it. Kinder and 1st grade parents may consider sending a change of clothes for students to keep in their backpacks or in their cubbies... just in case any issues arise. The nurse or counselor will not be able to lend clothes to students this year.
- During pick up at the end of the day, we ask that parents wait in the Car Rider Line for their students, or wait at the designated pick up spots for walkers (the crosswalk by the marquee for students walking north to the apartments or the gate at the edge of the property going south into Harper's Preserve). Please see the information below regarding car rider drop off and pick up.
Free/Reduced Price Meals Application for 2020-2021
Again, students who were on free or reduced price meals last year need to reapply every year. Please apply today so that there will be no delay in benefits.
Can My Child Go to School Today?
Level 3: Visitor and Drop Off Policy
While in a level 3 status, we will not be able to accept lunch or other items being dropped off for students. Our staff will be spread throughout the building assisting with safety protocols and procedures. We will not have staff available to deliver lunches to children. Students who forgot their homework, their project, an instrument or their lunch will not be able to have their parents drop things off at school. Teachers know that we will need to give grace on these issues, and students can bring homework the next day, if necessary, or a picture of the homework can be emailed to the teacher. If a student forgets their lunch, they can buy or charge a lunch in the cafeteria. If there are specific issues, we will address them on a case by case basis.
Parent Notification of Compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
We are pleased to inform you that all teachers and paraprofessionals at Suchma Elementary are qualified and meet state qualifications. As a parent of a student at Suchma Elementary, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct your child, and Federal law requires the school district to provide you this information in a timely manner if you request it. Specifically, you have the right to request the following information about each of your child’s classroom teachers:
- Whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and subjects.
- Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances.
- The teacher’s college major, whether the teacher has any advanced degrees, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
- Whether paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if so, their qualifications.
If you would like to receive any of this information, please contact Dr. Vandermark at
936-709-4400.
Red Ribbon Week - Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug Free.
Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program.
Red Ribbon Week started after the death of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in 1985 who was working to stop the drug trade in Mexico. After his death, people started wearing red ribbons to honor Kiki’s sacrifice. Today, millions of people celebrate Red Ribbon Week by wearing red ribbons, participating in community anti-drug events, and pledging to live drug-free lives.
In many communities the celebration has turned into a variety of activities implemented throughout the month of October. These activities are meant to demonstrate the importance of making healthy and smart decisions throughout life so that your dreams and goals can be achieved.
Each day during Red Ribbon Week, students learn about staying happy, healthy and drug free. To help them remember the themes for staying drug free, students can dress up each day during Red Ribbon Week. Students can participate in any way. For example, if they don't have camo, they can wear a green, brown or black shirt.
On Friday, October 30, we will be doing Storybook Character Day. We will not be doing a parade, due to our new safety procedures. We will post pictures on Facebook throughout the week, and we would like for our virtual students to join in and post their pictures on Facebook, too!! See the schedule below for daily dress up themes.
5th and 6th Grade UIL Opportunity
What is UIL A+ Academics? Every great journey begins with a first step, and the visionaries who built the League recognized that the first steps toward educational excellence must begin early. Academic competition for younger students was a part of the UIL program almost from the beginning, with the first junior division Declamation contest for students aged 10-14 in 1913. The first competition for students under age 10 was Spelling, which began a sub-junior division in 1921.
The program of academic competition for elementary, middle school and junior high officially became "A+ Academics" in 2008. A+ Academics includes 20 different events for grades 2-8. These events span the curriculum - they are designed to complement and expand upon what students learn in the classroom, both through learning specific subject knowledge, and through learning skills that are valuable in many disciplines. Approximately 3,000 Texas schools participate in A+ Academics, competing in more than 300 district meets each year.
Conroe ISD is offering participation in 3 UIL A+ events this year for our 5th and 6th graders: Number Sense, Listening, and Maps, Graphs and Charts. The event consists solely of taking an exam in one of the above three events. The top 3 scorers in each event will move to district event in December, where they will take another exam along the same topics. In preparation for the December district event, students will have UIL A+ practices where they review information in their event to help them prepare for the December exam. This will be an in-district event only this year.
We are doing these screeners during the school day, and after school. If you are interested in signing up for this exam, it will be held this week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, during the school day, and Wednesday and Thursday after school for our virtual learners. We will test number sense during the school day, but our other exams will be after school.
Students can test for up to one hour after school. That means if they want to take all three tests, they will need to test both days after school.
Please go to the UIL A+ website for more information: https://www.uiltexas.org/aplusPlease sign up using the form below. If you have any questions, please contact our campus UIL Coordinator, Kindel Doucet, at kdoucet@conroeisd.net.
Sign up form for campus based exam: https://forms.gle/mt2ZSMMVftLMcV8t9
PTO Information
Suchma Elementary will be participating in Boosterthon this year! All of our in-person and virtual students will have an opportunity to participate. Kick off is at the end of the month. Please be watching for more information to come home soon!
You can support Suchma Elementary and the PTO by linking some of your accounts to Suchma Elementary PTO
- Amazon Smile - Go to www.amazonsmile.com and select Suchma Elementary PTO. Make sure that when you make purchases, you are in AmazonSmile and a portion of your sale will go back to the PTO.
- Kroger - Go to www.kroger.com and access your digital account. Click on the menu in the top left corner and then click on Community Rewards. Enter Suchma Elementary and our PTO will come up. Click on Enroll and you are all set!
- Box Tops for Education - No more clipping box tops! Simply download the Box Tops app and scan your receipt. It's as simple as that and Suchma Elementary PTO receives a donation for each participating General Mills product!!
Gifted and Talented (GT) Nominations are due in December
Gifted and Talented students, or GT students, are defined as students who perform at, or show the potential for performing at, a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who: (1) Exhibit high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area; (2) Possess an unusual capacity for leadership; or (3) Excel in a specific academic field.
If you feel that your child might qualify as a student who is GT, please consider nominating them for testing. All second graders are screened each year (this was just completed, so we do not have scores back yet). If you have any questions about Gifted and Talented, please start with your child's teacher.
All GT nomination forms are due to the front office by December 18th. Testing will be done during the spring semester. If you have questions as to whether or not GT testing is appropriate for your child, please contact their teacher. Nomination forms can be picked up in the front office or online at:
You can also go to the CISD Gifted and Talented website for more information.
http://www.conroeisd.net/department/ci/gifted-talented/
G/T Parent Newsletter - https://www.smore.com/jgrcn
Meal Changes and Curbside Meal Pickup
Beginning Thursday, October 1, Conroe ISD will offer FREE breakfast and lunch to ALL In-Person and Remote/Online students as well as children ages 18 and younger in the community. Students in Remote/Online Instruction and children 18 and younger who are not attending school on campus will pick up free meals curbside on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM - 12 PM at the junior high located in their feeder zone. 🍎
• Irons Junior High
• Knox Junior High
• McCullough Junior High
• Moorhead Junior High
• Peet Junior High
• Stockton Junior High
• York Junior High
Parents must present an approved form of ID for any child not present in the vehicle. To learn more, visit: https://www.conroeisd.net/child-nutrition/campus-curbside-meal-pick-up/
Attendance During Remote Learning
Students in the upper grades have an attendance check in as part of the student's work for the day. Students check-in as part of their daily to do list. Please contact your child's teacher if you have questions about attendance.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and our Website!
You can also visit our school website at http://suchma.conroeisd.net.
Upcoming Events
October
8 - Blue Day for Bully Prevention Awareness Month
8 - End of the nine weeks
9 - No School - Staff Workday
12 - No School - Student holiday
28 - Boosterthon Kickoff during PE
November
6 - Boosterthon Dance Party Event
Contact Us
Email: suchma@conroeisd.net
Website: suchma.conroeisd.net
Location: 10261 Harpers School Road, Conroe, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-4400
Facebook: facebook.com/suchmaCISD
Twitter: @suchmaCISD
The Conroe Independent School District (District) as an equal opportunity educational provider and employer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment matters. The District is required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as Board policy not to discriminate in such a manner.
For information about Title IX rights or Section 504/ADA rights, contact the Title IX Coordinator or the Section 504/ADA coordinator at 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, TX 77304; (936) 709-7752.