Dear Allen Families,

I hope that each and every one of you had a great holiday season. The start of a new calendar year is a great time to reset and refocus our energies and our goals. The students have worked hard this school year to grow in their learning and we are excited to see how much students grow this second semester. Please remember that the learning day begins at 7:45 AM. Any student that arrives to class after 7:45 will be marked tardy and will also miss out on important learning. We understand that students get ill and sometimes are unable to come to school. Parents you are encouraged to be mindful of your child's attendance. Each missed day of school equals missed learning. If your child does have to be absent, please make sure to send a note with your child.

I look forward to continuing to work with you in your child's education this second semester of school. As always if you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Zagala

Principal

Effective Tuesday, January 3rd we will no longer allow early outs after 2:40 PM. If a parent arrives after 2:40 PM to sign their child out they will be asked to wait until regular dismissal at 3:00 PM. The reason for this change is that after 2:40 PM many of our student are in transition and preparing for dismissal which makes it difficult for our office staff to locate the child while preparing for regular dismissal.

We appreciate your understanding and support.

This week in Ms. Perez's class students studied plants and learned about photosynthesis and what plants need to grow.

Report Cards for the second quarter of instruction go home on Friday, January 6th. If you have any questions about your child's progress please contact your child's teacher.

We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our students during the first semester of school. Middle of Year Awards will be on Wednesday, January 11th & Friday, January 13th.

January 11th

08:30 AM PreK/ECSE/ALE

09:30 AM Kindergarten

10:10 AM 2nd Grade

11:15 AM 5th Grade

January 13th

10:10 AM 1st Grade

11:15 AM 4th Grade

01:15 PM 3rd Grade

*Parents and guests joining us for our Middle of Year Awards Day must obtain a visitor's pass from the front office. A valid driver's license or state issued ID is required to receive a visitor's pass. For the safety of our students and staff, any guest that does not have a valid driver's license or state issued ID will not be given a Visitor's Pass and will not be allowed on campus.

**Awards ceremonies will begin promptly at their scheduled times.

We would love all Allen families to join us on Tuesday, January 12th from 5:45-7:00 PM for PTA Family Fit Night. We will begin at 5:45 with a brief PTA meeting and then begin our fun family fitness activities.

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there will be no school on Monday, January 16th. School will resume on Tuesday, January 17th.

Each month we will be sharing Reading and Math challenges for our families to participate in. Please see the link below to see our first installment of our Reading and Math Family Monthly

This month we will focus on the characteristics of a "creator."

A creator is defined as designing new ideas, techniques, concepts, or products.

An effective creator:

-Brings imagination to life

-Is not limited to what already exists

-Looks at things from new and different perspectives

-Is an original thinker and not afraid to take risks

As we will be working with students on being creators, we also invite you to extend the learning at home. Each week during January, I will link a child friendly video that is connected to being a critical thinker. I hope that you and your family are able to view these videos together and learn more about being a critical thinker.

Allen Spirit Shirts can be purchased from the front office for $12 (cash only). All students are invited to wear their spirit shirts every Friday for our weekly spirit days.

Join us in earning cash for our school by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios!) and scan your grocery receipt. Box Tops are worth $.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies or experiences the kids love!

Use this referral code B1KG0OSL when you sign up and you’ll get 20 Bonus Box Tops when you scan your first receipt now through 05/31/2023, while supplies last! Download the Box Tops for Education app here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=B1KG0OSL

At the end of the school year, the grade level that has earned the most Box Tops will win an Ice Cream Party!

Receive important messages and reminders from Allen ES by push message on your phone. Simply download the NISD Mobile App and select which schools you would like to receive notifications from. Follow us on Twitter @NISDAllenES, join our school on Class Dojo and ensure that your email address is up to date in the office.