The Leopard Tale
August 2019
Principal's Points
Welcome Leopards to a fantastic new year! We believe that our Andre’ village includes the collaborative efforts of our parents, teachers, and community, and therefore, we invite you to join us in this year’s learning adventure.
We encourage our families to find ways to be involved throughout the school year. Partner with your child’s teacher, read daily with your child, become a volunteer, and join the PTO! There are so many ways to be involved to ensure your child has the best year ever. Please let us know if there is any way we can assist you in getting this year off to a great start!
Throughout the year, we will keep you informed of Andre’ Elementary activities, curriculum updates, your child's progress, and all of the events that will make this a successful and memorable year. Our campus newsletter will be e-mailed and is available online the first Tuesday of the Month.
We want to stay connected with you! Please visit our website at www.cfisd.net, select schools and facilities, elementary schools, and then Andre’. This will take you to our website. We will also regularly post photos and news on the Official Andre’ Facebook page. To locate our page, search @CFISDAndre. Make sure you follow us on Twitter, @CFISDAndre, as well.
We encourage you to sign up to be on SchoolMessenger so that you can receive our newsletter, as well as other information regarding our school and district. Additionally, you can choose to receive texts, phone calls, or emails regarding emergency school closures, upcoming event information, and school reminders. Instructions, a video, and links to signups are posted on the school district website. Thank you for your partnership, as our Andre’ students Unleash their Super Power!
News You Need to Know
Meet the Teacher
Meet the teacher will be on Thursday, August 22nd:
8:15-For students with last names that begin with A-F
9:15-For students with last names that begin with G-M
10:15-For students with last names that begin with N-Z
In an effort to alleviate parking concerns, we ask that you come during the assigned time above. Thank you for your support.
First Day of School
The first day of school is Monday, August 26th. School hours are 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students may enter the building no earlier than 8:25 a.m. We encourage parents to send their children to school the same way they will go home in the afternoon (for example: bus rider in the morning/bus rider in the afternoon). Due to safety and security of students and staff, parents will NOT be allowed to walk students to class.
Crisis Drills
The safety and welfare of our students and staff are our highest priority. To provide schools an opportunity to practice emergency response procedures, our district Superintendent has asked all students and staff to participate in emergency preparedness drills on a continuous basis.
The goals of the training drill are to improve our ability to protect students, save lives, and reduce injuries. They allow us to evaluate our emergency operations plan and improve our response skills. As part of the drill, the students and staff will participate in the activation of our Campus Emergency Operations Plan.
In order to protect students, in case of an actual emergency, students will only be released to the parents and/or other adults listed on the student’s Emergency Card. Please ensure that this card has updated and accurate information. It is a good idea to have several trusted adults listed on the card, including one or two who live within walking distance of school. You should assume that in an actual emergency, telephone communication may not be possible, and so you should discuss your family meeting place and reunification plans in advance with anyone listed on the student’s Emergency Card.
In the event of an actual emergency any approved emergency contact person should do their best to bring identification and should first come to the Request Gate to request the student. While the student is located, the adult will be directed to the Reunion Gate to meet their child and sign them out. This procedure is designed for your child’s protection and for your peace of mind.
Prior to the drill, please discuss your family’s home preparedness plan with your student(s). The American Red Cross has outstanding materials. You can obtain Red Cross materials in English or in Spanish from their web site: http://www.redcross.org or by calling your local chapter. The Harris County Office of Emergency Management has valuable information on emergency preparedness, and there are resources to be discovered on the internet in many languages.
If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to call our school office at Tel. (281) 463-5500.
Child Find
The Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District Special Education Department provides educational services to over 10,000 students with special needs.
Teachers, instructional aides, speech pathologists and related service personnel provide instruction and related services to students who have a disability. Students are eligible for special education services from the age of 3 through 21. Students who have hearing and vision disabilities may receive services from birth.
To be eligible for special education services, students must meet eligibility requirements as a student with an orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, auditory impairment, visual impairment, diagnosis of deaf/blind, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, learning disability, speech impairment, multiple disabilities, autism, non-categorical early childhood, or traumatic brain injury.
Cypress Fairbanks ISD instructional arrangements for elementary school-aged students include in-class support, resource classes and speech/language therapy. Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE, formerly PPCD), adaptive behavior, and LIFE Skills classes are offered as cluster services at the elementary level.
In-class support, resource classes, LIFE Skills, adaptive behavior and speech/language services are available at all secondary level campuses.
Related services may include psychological services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, orientation and mobility training, school health services, adaptive equipment and special transportation.
Other special education service options include the Dorothy Carlton Center, the Maybelline Carpenter Center, homebound, adaptive physical education, itinerant and on-site services to the visually impaired.
As part of the Northwest Harris County Cooperative for the Hearing Impaired, services for students who have auditory impairments are offered at Birkes Elementary, Matzke Elementary, Spillane Middle School and Cy-Ridge High School. In addition to receiving instruction at the on-site campuses, students may be served by itinerant teachers, speech pathologists, and/or an audiologist at their home campus.
Are you the parent of a pre-school (3-5 years) or school aged child and have concerns regarding your child’s physical, speech, and/or emotional development? Is your child experiencing academic problems which could interfere significantly with educational success? If so, contact the Special Education Department at 281-897-6400 to discuss your concerns and learn more about the referral process.
PTO
Hello Super Andre’ Families! My name is Stephanie Pye-Goodwin and I am so excited to introduce myself as the new Andre’ Elementary School PTO President for the 2019-2020 school year!
I would like to also introduce the current PTO Board:
Treasurer- Carlos Joseph
Secretary- Lacye Rhoads
1st VP of Homeroom Activities- Chair- Jameika Henry and Co-Chair Chovanique Lee
2nd VP of Fundraising- Jamie McFeders
3rd VP of Membership- Stephanie LeTourneau
Volunteer (VIPS) Coordinator- Nicole Travis
We hope that you will take the time to learn about the PTO, the initiatives we support and the programs and events we provide. Volunteers are essential to any successful PTO, but as a member, you are not obligated to attend meetings or volunteer. By joining the PTO, your $15 membership fee, as well as funds raised from fundraising, spirit nights, donations and volunteer hours, goes towards classroom parties, buses for field trips, STEM programs, Family Fun Nights, teacher grants and our newest project for 2019- some NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT. Please consider joining the PTO! Joining the PTO also allows us to build our partnership between the community, families and Andre’ staff. We look forward to the continued support from returning families and meeting all the new Andre’ Elementary School families.
Below you will find information of upcoming events and ways for you to get involved. Please feel free to reach out to the PTO Board if you have any questions or if you would like to become a member.
Sincerely,
Andre’ Elementary PTO Board
***Reminder***
Don’t forget to order your spirit shirts!
Price- $12
*Special bundle price - $24 for a PTO membership ($15) and Spirit Shirt ($12) That's a $3 savings only available at Leopard Express and Meet the Teacher.
Join the PTO! Family Membership $15
School Supplies will be sold at Leopard Express and Meet the teacher, while supplies last.
Upcoming Spirit Nights
September 17th-Whataburger #1122
Address: 8930 Fry Rd, Cypress, TX 77433
Time: 5PM-8PM
Join us at Whataburger for dinner! Andre’ will receive 20% of all sales garnered during the three-hour period.
Help Andre’ Earn “Free Money”
My Coke Rewards-: https://us.coca-cola.com/give/schools/ When you make Coca-Cola purchases, you simply enter the product codes on the website, or send them in a baggie to school with your child and we can scan them in for you.
Amazon Smile-http://smile.amazon.com/ch/56-2612718 Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to Andre’ PTO. Please be sure to add Andre’ PTO as your charity.
Kroger Plus-www.krogercommunityrewards.com (You must select Andre Elementary PTO Inc. as your community rewards organization under ‘My account.’ And confirm your selection if you have signed up previously. )
Box Tops- There is a NEW program using an App and scanning receipts. MORE INFORMATION TO COME.
Next PTO Meeting
Want to know more about what’s going on with PTO? Our next meeting is Monday, September 16th at 6:30PM at Andre’ Elementary School in the library. Please join us!
PTO Contact info
Facebook: Andre’ Elementary PTO
Twitter: @AndreElemPTO
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/andrepto/home
Notes from the front desk
Lunch Visitors
For the first two weeks of school, we will not have lunch visitors or deliveries. This will give your child time to learn lunch procedures and enjoy lunch with new friends. After the second week, we are asking parents to limit lunch visits with your child to one time per week. We have close to 1000 students and want to make sure we have space for all parents who would like to eat lunch with their children. A note is required from a guardian for anyone other than a guardian to have lunch with your child.
Absences
If your child is absent, please send a note on the first day of your child’s return to school stating the reason for the absence. Thank you.
Transportation Changes
If a child’s end-of-day transportation changes, the parent/guardian must send a note with the date, necessary changes and parent/guardian signature. If a note is not received, the usual method of transportation will be followed.
For safety purposes, no changes will be made after 3:30 P.M. and PHONE CALLS or E-MAILS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED.
Cafeteria
- SchoolCafé is a safe and secure way for parents to make online payments to their children’s cafeteria accounts.
- School Café also allows parents, students and staff to view and interact with school cafeteria menus, view nutritional analysis, ingredient and allergen information.
- Free/Reduced Price meal applications can also be accessed and completed on School Café.
- Visit www.schoolcafe.com or the SchoolCafe app to apply.
- Call 281-897-4550 or visit the Food Production Center at 11355 Perry Road with questions and for assistance.
- Paper applications are available upon request.
Mark your calendar
8/22- Meet the Teacher (See times above)
8/26- First Day of School
8/26-9/6- No Lunch Visitors or Deliveries
8/28- Crisis Drill Assembly
8/29- Crisis Drills
9/2- Labor Day- Student/Staff Holiday
9/10- 6:00- Apple Night/PTO Meeting (k/2/4/LS)
9/17- 6:00- Apple Night/PTO Meeting (pk/1/3/5)
9/17- 5:00-8:00 Whataburger Night
About Us
Email: andre@cfisd.net
Website: andre.cfisd.net/en/
Location: 8111 Fry Road, Cypress, TX, USA
Phone: 281-463-5500
Facebook: facebook.com/cfisdandre/
Twitter: @cfisdandre