Helms Newsletter #5
September 25th, 2023
đź—“ UPCOMING DATES:
THIS WEEK:
- Mon 9/25: NO SCHOOL - Fall Holiday
- Thu 9/28: Ready to Grow Gardens for 3rd/4th/5th (PTA Sponsored)
- Fri 9/29: Deadline to submit Student Council Applications (4th grade only)
- Sat 9/30: Last day for HISD School Board Community Engagement Survey.
- Sun 10/01: Principal's Month
NEXT WEEK:
- Thu 10/05: Ready to Grow Gardens for 1st/2nd/SLC (PTA sponsored)
- Fri 10/6: Walk/Bike to School with the PTA (details coming soon)
- Fri 10/6: Report Card available online, Lost & Found Cleanout
- Sat 10/7: Helms Masquerade Gala de Mascaras @ SPJST Lodge 88, 6-11p
FUTURE:
- Wed 10/11: Coffee with Principal, 8:30am @ cafeteria
- Wed 10/18: PTA General Meeting 6:00PM
- Fri 10/20: Fall Picture Day
- Mon 10/23-10/27: Red Ribbon & Bully Prevention Week (Spirit dress up days schedule to come)
- Wed 10/25: October spirit night Mendocino Farms- more details to come.
- Fri 10/27: Annual Book Parade (more details to come)
- Fri 10/27: T-Shirt Sale
- Saturday 10/28: Helms Movie Night on the turf! Showing The Book of Life- (more to come)
- Everyday: Playground open to Helms families 3:15pm-3:45pm. Enter through front reception. VIPS approval required. Playground is open to the public after 6:00pm once after school program ends.
- Helms Spirit Shirts can be worn everyday!
Helms School Schedule
Supervision is available for students beginning at 6:45 am through the Helms !Juntos! After School program for $22/month. Students will be allowed to enter the building beginning at 6:45 and will remain in the cafeteria until 7:15 when they are taken to their grade level designated area. Registration available on HelmsPTA.org.
7:15 a.m. - Parents may begin dropping students off at the assigned drop off locations.
7:15 –7:25 a.m. - Students wait in their designated areas until they are picked up by their teachers.
7:30 a.m. - Instructional day begins
7:35 a.m. - Tardy Bell rings
2:50 p.m. - Dismissal bell rings
3:00 p.m. - Students are dismissed
3:20 pm - Student supervision ends
PLEASE NOTE: IN THE INTEREST OF STUDENT AND STAFF MEMBER SAFETY AND BUILDING SECURITY, PARENTS WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED TO WALK STUDENTS INTO THE BUILDING FOR DROP-OFF DURING MORNING ARRIVALS.
Helms Culture Calendar
Lunch Schedule
Pre-Kinder Lunch Menu - September
Kinder-5th Grade Lunch Menu - September
Social Skill for the Week - Accept No
School Nurse Information
Accessing STAAR 2023 Results (3rd-5th grade)
2023 STAAR Results
- Below are the detailed instructions on how to access your child's STAAR results:
2) Locate the Family Portal under View Your Child's Test Results on the home screen.
3) Enter the Unique Student Access Code and Date of Birth. Select Sign On.
4) If you don't know the Access Code, select "Lookup unique access code" and enter the Student's First Name, SSN, or TSDS number if you have it, and Date of Birth
5) If successfully entered, the six-digit Access Code will appear.
6) Click on the unique code circle and the students' testing results will appear.
Dynamo Diesels Reading Program
- Program Website: https://www.houstondynamofc.com/community/reading
- Registration: https://houstondynamo.formstack.com/forms/reading
Thank You Houston Heights Woman's Club
HISD Board - Community Engagement Meetings & Survey
The HISD Board of Managers are in the process of developing their goals and constraints for the next 5 years. They want to learn our visions and values for the district. This is the time to let them know our shared value of high quality Dual Language Immersion Programs. Take the HISD Board of Managers Survey below and if you can, attend one of the scheduled community engagement meetings. More info on the survey and dual language is available on the advocacy page of our PTA website.
Masquerade Gala de Mascaras
It’s the night of the year you don’t want to miss! Buy your tickets today to support our school, teachers, and your student!
Enjoy dinner catered by BB's Tex-Orleans, music by Helms alumni and DJ Tony Hype, dance lessons by The Dance Barre HTX, face painting, drinks and more. Check out pictures from last year's Noche de Rock for examples of the fun. This party is an adults only event - we can't wait to see you there!
About the Gala:
- "Event Night Tickets" will be used instead of cash at the Gala and are available now for purchase at $5 each! They can be used to purchase bottles of wine from the Wine Pull (4 tickets), have a gorgeous mask painted on by a face painter (2 tickets), and more! Event Night Tickets are purchased in addition to your admission to the event, and you will be able to purchase additional Event Night Tickets at the Gala.
- Helms teachers and staff receive complimentary admission! .
- Single tickets are available and include admission to the event for one (1).
- Couple tickets are available and include admission to the event for two (2).
- Feathers sponsorship includes admission for 2 with reserved seating and a bottle of wine.
- Chandelier ($1000) and Grand Mask ($500) level sponsorships come with reserved table seating and other exciting benefits. Find them available for purchase on the PTA's Auction site while they last!
Not sure what to wear to the Gala?
It's totally up to you! Dress up, dress down - make the night yours! But don't forget your mask - and if you do, just visit one of our face painters!
Opportunities to sponsor are still available, for more information click here
Looking for ways to help?
Grade Level Baskets
Kindergarten: My Favorite Toys- Sign up here
1st grade: Backyard Fun- Sign up here
2nd grade: Spa Basket- Sign up here
3rd grade: Fiesta Basket Sign up Here
4th grade: Gift cards in denominations $5 and up
5th grade: Scratch off tickets in any denomination
Want more info? email abrebekahperez@gmail.com
PTA After School Program
We are excited to offer a wide range of activities such as hip hop, art club, sports, culinary, coding, and more. The enrichment programing may change based on instructor availability. For questions, please email AfterSchool@helmsPTA.org or visit the HelmsPTA.org website.
Resources
Parent Portal HISD Connect for PowerSchool
The district's Student Information System (SIS), HISD Connect by PowerSchool, includes student contact, enrollment, and demographic information, as well as grades and online resources.
Parents are given a unique code, or access ID, for each of their students and are able to use those codes to set up an account to access their students' profiles through the parent portal. Parents who haven't received their student's access ID should contact their school.
HISD 2023-2024 Academic Calendar
PLEASE NOTE: THE CALENDAR WAS UPDATED ON 8/24/23.
Winter Break is now Dec 22-Jan 5th.
Students are off Nov 10th instead of Nov 7th.
Students are now off Oct 13th.
School will be in session Feb 20th.
Click here for the 2023-24 HISD calendar.Previous School Newsletters & PTA LinkTree
Register with VIPS to volunteer on campus
What is VIPS? VIPS stands for Volunteers in Public Schools. It is HISD's volunteer management program. You may also hear it referred to as RAPTOR.
Anyone volunteering for the school during school hours must be VIPS approved for safety reasons. Applicants register, complete an online orientation, and consent to a background check. Volunteers must reapply each year. After completion, look for an email verification from donotreply@raptortech.com confirming your application has been received. Approval process may take 0-5 days.
WRAPAROUND SERVICES:
CONNECT WITH HELMS FAMILIES ONLINE:
Coming Soon: Info on Grade Level Chat Groups
HELMS PTA
Email: Hello@HelmsPTA.org
Website: www.HelmsPTA.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelmsDLPTA/
HELMS ELEMENTARY
“Two Languages, Endless Possibilities”
Principal: Alexander Gonzalez agonza30@houstonisd.org
Assistant Principal: Helen Anguiano helen.anguiano@houstonisd.org
Magnet Coordinator: Julie Hernandez jhernan2@houstonisd.org
Registrar/Attendance Clerk: Patricia Hernandez phernan6@houstonisd.org
Nurse: Joanna Phillips Joanna.Phillips@houstonisd.org
Email: agonza30@houstonisd.org
Website: https://www.houstonisd.org/domain/22
Phone: 713.867.5130