The Prairie Pulse
August Back-to-School Edition - DPES Family Newsletter
Welcome to the 2021-2022 School Year!!!
Please be sure to revisit for updates throughout THE MONTH.
Tomball ISD - Where we focus on the Social-Emotional well-being of our staff, students, and families, High-Quality Instruction, and Collaboration to ensure learning for all of our Tomball ISD students.
DECKER PRAIRIE -
Mission: Decker Prairie Elementary is dedicated to high levels of learning for all.
Vision: We will create an environment where everyone takes risks and collaborate respectfully through innovative learning.
Great Start to an AMAZING year!!!
We couldn't do it without you! It is so great to see all of our Cougars back in the building!
They have been learning expectations and procedures and every day we continue to learn and grow.
We would appreciate your help keeping our dismissal as soon as possible as well:
1. Consistent transportation home each day. Clearly communicate any transportation concerns to your child's teacher and follow up with the front office to ensure your handwritten or faxed note was received.
2. Remember modeling positivity and calm helps our children when they are met with challenges.
3. Help your child's morning routine by getting them ready the night before.
UPDATED - Parent Orientation Times
September 14 –
- Parent Orientation
- 5:00 PTO - cafe
- Pre-K – Kinder 5:30-6:15 pm -classrooms
- 1st Gr 6:30-7:15pm-classrooms
September 16 -
- Parent Orientation
- 5:00 PTO - cafe
- 2nd Grade and 3rd grade 5:30-6:15pm-classrooms
- 4th Grade 6:30-7:15pm-classrooms
WatchDog Dad information Coming SOON!
Picture Day is coming!!! September 17th!
COVID
Isolation and Readmission Criteria for a Positive Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Student Students who test positive for COVID-19 must enter isolation.
Parents must notify the school nurse if their student is lab-confirmed positive via the District’s online reporting tool. In order for the student’s absence during isolation to be exempted, a student must provide to the school a physician’s note and a positive COVID-19 lab result. Individuals in isolation should meet the readmission criteria outlined below before returning to school. 3
● Isolation: Students must not come to school and should isolate themselves from others for a period of 10 days after symptom onset or a positive test date (whichever occurred first) in accordance with the Texas Department of Safety Health Services (DSHS) Exclusion and Readmission criteria for Schools and Childcare Centers.
● Return Criteria: Per CDC guidance, students can return to school after 10 days of isolation, if all symptoms are improving or resolved and the fever has been absent for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication.
Please refer to the District Fall 2021 Return to School Handbook for more information and visit the district website for updates
Opt In to Receive Alerts:
District Communication
Tomball ISD Families,
As we approach the 2021-2022 school year, Tomball ISD continues to monitor local and state health guidance and with that, the district has made a few modifications to its Return to School Parent and Student Handbook that was originally sent out last week.
Modifications made can be found in these sections of the handbook:
- Isolation and Readmission Criteria for a Positive Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Student
- Isolation and Readmission Criteria for a Symptomatic Student
- COVID Dashboard & Notifications
- Rapid COVID testing
As always, every decision being made considers the health and safety of our students and staff as a top priority. We encourage you to read through this handbook once again as it may answer any questions or address any concerns you have as we move forward with this school year.
We greatly appreciate your patience and your understanding of these guidelines and look forward to welcoming our students back to school on August 17!
Have a great weekend,
- Tomball ISD Communications
TISD 2021-22 Instructional Calendar
https://www.tomballisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=306343&type=d&pREC_ID=708359
Parent Orientation - More information coming soon!
Our Counselor is here to help you!
- Questions about school supplies
- Family social-emotional needs
- Support through family hardships
- or just a listening ear
Please contact our counselor Zakiya Bircher @ 281-357-3134 ext 3076
Lunches
Prepackaged, store-bought birthday treats are allowed. Please communicate to the classroom teacher prior to delivery.
Bus Transportation & SMART-tag
- TISD transportation website: https://www.tomballisd.net/apps/pages/business-services/transportation/FAQ
- Bus route information: http://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=TI05693839218
- Bus rider rules: https://www.tomballisd.net/apps/pages/business-services/transportation/bus-rider-rules
- Smart Tag information: https://www.tomballisd.net/apps/pages/smart-tag
SMART Tag
SMART Tag helps increase safety and security for students riding on a school bus, leveraging technology to improve student management and communications on school buses.
SMART Tag monitors student loading and unloading, providing real-time information to the Transportation Department, and you, the parent.
The SMART-Tag system includes a Parent Portal, which provides alerts to be sent to parents via email or text when your child is 10-15 minutes from their stop.
All TISD families who have already registered for bus transportation will be able to set-up access to the Parent Portal, step-by-step instructions can be found below.
For more information on the functionality of our new SMART-Tag system, please visit the TISD website - SMART-Tag
Transportation Changes
Should the need arise to change your child’s transportation at the end of the school day, you can:
send a note with your child that includes a parent's signature OR fax a note with your signature and phone number by 3:00 pm. No phone call or email transportation changes will be accepted. While this policy may cause some inconvenience from time to time, our number one priority is the safety of all our Decker Prairie students. We encourage you to call and confirm that your note or fax was received.
Any last-minute emergency transportation changes will require administrative approval. Without proper notification, your child will be sent home by their regular means of transportation. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
If you need to pick up your child prior to 3:30, you must come inside the office and sign out your child before 3:30 pm, no later. After proper identification is established, we will call for your child to come to the office to leave campus. Decker Prairie students will only be released to the individuals whose name appears on the Release Form.
Please note that students who ride buses must ride their assigned bus. Transportation policy does not allow a student to ride home with another student unless the student has met the criteria for a transportation exemption. If you feel your child would meet this exemption, please contact the transportation department directly.
Car Rider Line
Drop-off:
- Parents form two lines that transition down to one.
- Please have your child ready to exit the car.
- Staff is available to assist with doors and car seats as needed.
- We ask that you do not attempt to switch lanes.
- When exiting, you have the opportunity to exit left or right.
Pick-up-
Vehicles will form two dismissal lines in the Parent Drive once inside double gates.
All vehicles will be required to have a “Car Rider Tag” viewable to staff. (available at Meet the Teacher)
The lead cars will pull up to the stop sign for loading.
Refer to the diagram below for guidance.
Ten vehicles will be called. Five will be loaded and dismissed at a time.
After your student is loaded, there is an option to pull into the left turn lane (which is left turn only) or the right turn lane (which is right turn only)
Vehicles without a Car Rider Tag - For our student’s safety please be prepared to park and come into the front office to show identification (driver’s license).
Students will be released only when cars have assigned car rider tags.
We appreciate your patience as we unload and load our students each day. Remember that we are working with children who may need assistance and our goal each day is to ensure that every child returns home safely.
- We ask that you do not attempt to switch lanes.
- When exiting, you have the opportunity to exit left or right.
Our goal is to move students and parents through the car rider line as safely and as expeditiously as possible with the least amount of frustration for parents!
Please note that the front of our building is our bus loop and prioritized for buses. We encourage any parents dropping students off, to use the car rider line for the safety of all.
As always please be mindful during drop-off and pick-up times of walkers.
Walkers
Parents will wait for students outside the Parent Drive Gate.
Students will be escorted by a staff member to the gate for dismissal.
Parents will show a “Walker Pass” (available at Meet the Teacher) to staff member (similar to showing car rider tag) to identify themselves. (Walker passes only given to those nearest school based on address.)
For our student’s safety please be prepared to show identification (ID or driver’s license) to staff members or to the school office, should a different staff member be present to supervise walker dismissal.
Students will only be released to parents/guardians or emergency contacts.
Walker Passes - provided to families living within a predetermined area/distance from school.
Clinic
If your child will require medication administration during school hours, please note that all prescriptions must have a written/signed order from a medical doctor licensed in the state of Texas. Medication will not be administered without the correct documents.
Please contact the clinic in advance to drop off medication. Students should NOT be sent to school with the medication. Please contact the DPES nurse, Lance Culver, at 281-357-3134 EXT 3006 if you need to schedule a time to present documents and drop off medication for your child.
Every Wednesday is DECKER SPIRIT NIGHT at Lindo!
Decker Prairie PTO
Family Fitness Monthly Movement Calendar
Coming Soon!
Child Nutrition - District Menus
We are excited to announce for the 2021-22 school year ALL Tomball ISD students will receive FREE school meals, regardless of eligibility! #DestinationExcellence
More info from Child Nutrition: https://www.tomballisd.net/apps/news/article/1469018
Upcoming Dates
NO Lunch Visitors until at least Sept 3rd
September 8th - Update regarding Lunch Visitors
· September 14 –
- Parent Orientation
- 5:00 PTO
- Pre-K – Kinder 5:30-6:15
- 1st Gr 6:30-7:15
· September 16 -
- Parent Orientation
- 5:00 PTO
- 2nd Grade and 3rd grade 5:30-6:15
- 4th Grade 6:30-7:15
September 17th - Fall Pictures
September 24th - TISD Patriotic Show - TISD Stadium
October 11th- Student Holiday / Staff Workday (Parent Conferences)
Technology Help
Administration
Assistant Principals - Justin Pluckhahn & Tammy Sebesta
Counselor - Zakiya Bircher
All DPES Families - Stay Updated!
Join our Twitter - @TISDDPES
Decker Prairie Elementary
Email: cindywallace@tomballisd.net
Website: https://dpes.tomballisd.net/
Location: 27427 Decker Prairie-Rosehill Road, Magnolia, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 357-3134
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TISDDPES
Twitter: @TISDDPES