Holley Hawk Newsletter
January 9, 2023
Happy New Year and Welcome Back!
Upcoming Dates
Jan 16- MLK Day, no school
Jan 19- 5th grade performance 6:00
Feb. 1 Sweethearts Dance
Feb. 2 Brighter Bites
Feb. 7 Spring Picture Day
Feb. 16 1/2 Day
Feb. 17- No School
Feb. 20- No School
Feb. 23- 4th grade performance 6:00
District Boundaries
The district will be changing some of the boundaries for the next school year. This will only effect the students that are zoned to go to Garcia Middle School. No one else will be effected. See the attached flyer for more information.
Fifth grade program
Our 5th graders will be performing their musical on January 19 at 6:00 pm. Please do not drop your students off and leave, an adult must be present with the students at all times.
Sweetheart Dance
Our Holley Elist Cheerleaders will be sponsoring a Sweetheart dance to raise funds for their club. See attached flyer for details and scan code. Hurry, as it is only open to the first 100 people that sign up due to capacity limitations in the cafeteria.
Whole Child Initiative
As a part of the Whole Child Health Initiative, Fort Bend ISD, in collaboration with Fort Bend Regional Council, is excited to present our January parent webinar, “Current Drug Trends and What Parents Need to Know”. During this webinar, parents will be provided information on current drug trends to help them be aware of what to look for and how to best support their children. The parent webinar will be held on Wednesday, January 18th at 6 p.m. Whole Child Health is aligned with FBISD's Profile of a Graduate and is committed to supporting and developing the mental, behavioral, social, emotional, and physical health of all students in FBISD.
Links: Current Drug Trends and What Parents Need to Know Link; FBISD Whole Child Health Webpage
Affordable Connectivity Program
Parents,
Help with your monthly internet bill may be available through the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program.
The program known as ACP, provides income-eligible families with $30 off monthly internet bills and a one-time $100 discount on the price of laptops and tablets.
Because our campus is designated as Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) campus where all students receive free meals, your family may be eligible for the internet and laptop discounts.
If anyone in your household receives federal assistance such as SNAP, SSI or WIC, you may also qualify for the discounts.
Enrollment requires only two steps:
1. Visit AffordableConnectivity.gov to apply online or print out a mail-in application.
2. Contact your preferred internet provider to select a plan or have the discount applied to your existing account.
Both steps must be taken to receive the discounts. Once enrolled, the internet provider will arrange for customers to receive their $100 device discount.
There is also an ACP toll-free phone number the public may call for assistance at 877-384-2575.
Health and Safety Protocols
The health & safety of students, teachers, and staff is the District’s foremost priority. Students and staff should be told to stay home when sick and if they do test positive for COVID-19 to self-report using the online FBISD Wellness Screener. See attached for more information.
Free and Reduced Lunch
With the end of the pandemic, there are no longer waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this year that provide free meals to all students in the district. Although our school is designated as a free meals campus, we are asking all parents to please fill out the free/reduced-price application so that accurate information is associated with your child’s account and with our school. Having this application on file not only provides an important update to your child’s records, but it also qualifies you to receive other benefits. You can find the application at
www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd. The application is quick, easy and confidential. The web address again is
www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd. If you have questions or need assistance, please call Fort Bend ISD’s Child Nutrition Department at 281-634-1855. That’s 281-634-1855. They have staff members on duty who can assist you. To those who have already filled out the application - thank you for doing so. We appreciate it.
Support your child to be successful at school
Help your child understand that school is their very first job!
- Make great school attendance a priority for your child.
- Talk to your child about the importance of daily attendance and how it helps his/her learning.
- When students miss so much school they will not be prepared for Kindergarten, learning to read by the third grade, failing courses in middle school and dropping out of high school.
Help your child develop good habits
- Help your child practice good daily habits like:
- finishing homework and placing it in his/her backpack
- laying out clothes and the backpack in the evening
- having a regular bedtime for a good night's sleep
- leaving early enough in the morning to get to school on time.
- turn off electronic devices one hour before bedtime.
- Help your child build responsibility skills by reminding them to make up any missed school work after an absence.
School-wide expectations
We are about 6 weeks into our Leader in Me program here at MHE, and it is going very well so far! Classroom teachers taught lessons on the school-wide behavior expectations. Talk with your students about how they are following the 7 Habits daily. Use this vocabulary with them at home—these are not just at-school behaviors, they are life-long behaviors.
Family Access
Attached is a flyer that you can use to learn how to log in to Skyward Family Access. This is where you will be able to see your child's grades and verify your email address, telephone numbers and contact information. It is important that this information is kept up-to-date in case of an emergency.
Car Riders and Walkers
Car Riders: If your child is going to be a car rider, it is essential that they have a car rider number. These can be picked up the night of Meet and Greet or you can come to the front office to get one. Students will not be released out of the car rider line to a parent or guardian that walks up to the door, you must remain in your car to pick them up. It is a huge help to us if your child remembers their car rider number as quickly as possible and if you leave the car rider number visible until your child is in the car. **Parents, please help us keep our flow of traffic by following the directions of the staff members working the car rider lines. Please pull forward when necessary as directed by the staff members.
Walkers: Dismissal can usually be much faster if your child is a walker. 3rd-5th grade can be picked up by the bicycle racks on the left side of the building. Pre-K and 1st grade walkers will be released to a guardian through the Pre-K Hall exterior door. Kindergarten students will be released from the Kinder Hall exterior door and 2nd grade will be released from the 2nd grade Hall exterior door. Please do not park on the street in the front of the building as this impedes traffic and slows down the process. You may park at the aquatic center and walk over to pick up your child if they are a designated walker. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we get the process going.
Change in Transportation
Please only make changes to your child's dismissal transportation if absolutely necessary since this is an interruption of their normal routine. If your child will have a change in the way that they are going home, it is important that you write a note to give to the teacher in the morning. We can not take the child's word that they are changing the way they are getting home. If the change needs to be made during the day, please email the teacher and call the front desk before 12:00. The phones in the teachers rooms do not ring during the school day so you must send an email. Teachers may not check their email during the day so we ask that you also let the front office know at 281-634-3850.
Early Pick Up
There may be times that you will need to pick up your child before dismissal. This will need to be done before 3:00. After 3:00, you will need to wait until 3:25 to get your child.
Attendance and Absences
It is very important that your child is in school every day and on time. If they are not in the
classroom by 8:10, they will be considered tardy. The car rider line can be long in the mornings so please plan on having them here by 8:00 so they are not late. You will be required to get out of the car and sign them in after 8:10.
Student attendance is a top priority for the district this year so be aware that there
will be consequences for excessive absences.
If your child is absent they are required to send a note within 5 days of their absence or it will be considered unexcused.
PTO
We are hoping to start the PTO up again this year, but we need your help in making it a success. We need parents or guardians that would like to become a vital part of starting up the PTO. See attached flyer for ways that you can get involved in your child's school.
Free and Reduced Lunch and Breakfast
Each year we ask that if students qualify for free and reduced lunch to please fill out the application to ensure that your student is getting their meals free or reduced. Follow the link for access to the form.
Breakfast served every morning starting at 7:30am.
https://www.fortbendisd.com/Page/217
Student Code of Conduct
Attached is the student code of contact for the 2022-23 school year. There has been some changes to it from last year.
Cell Phone Policy
For safety purposes, the district permits students to possess personal mobile telephones; however, these devices must remain turned off during the instructional day, including during all testing, unless they are being used for approved instructional purposes. If a student uses a telecommunications device without authorization during the school day, the device will be confiscated. Per the Fort Bend ISD Parent/Student Handbook, the parent may pick up the confiscated telecommunications device from the principal’s office for a fee of $15.
As per all digital devices, the district is not responsible for damaged, lost, or stolen telecommunications devices.
Extra Clothes
It is always a good idea to have extra clothing in your child's backpack if they are in the younger grades. Sometimes they have accidents and are more comfortable in their own clothes rather than receiving clothes from the nurse's office.
Background Checks
Background checks- Volunteers must complete a background check in order to attend
field trips, volunteer at school, etc. Please see the link below. It is a great idea to go ahead and have your completed background check on file with the district in case an unexpected opportunity arises that you wish to attend at school. It can take up to two weeks for someone to be confirmed with the district once the background check information is completed.
Human Resources / Criminal History Checks (fortbendisd.com)
FBISD School Calendar 2022-23
Please keep a copy of the school calendar handy this school year! This will keep you informed of the school holidays and closures scheduled during the year.
Birthday Celebration Information
We love celebrating your child's birthday! However, only store bought cupcakes are approved by the district. Items not allowed for birthday celebration are cookies, drinks, candy bags, balloons and homemade items. The cupcakes can be dropped off in the front office and will be given to the student the last 15 minutes of class.
Holley Information
If you would like to contact us, below is our information.
