PES Principal Message
August 7, 2023
Puster Staff engage in Learning, Results, Collaboration and FUN!
Puster Families,
We are looking forward to seeing all of our Puster students and families at Meet the Teacher from 3-5 this afternoon. This is a come and go event - feel free to stop by anytime within that window. You may park in the front and back parking lots and along Stoddard (please do not block mailboxes or driveways). Golf carts are welcome - feel free to park in the grass.
We will have some new team members housed in front of the library this afternoon. Stop by to say "hello" to your admin team including new team members, Kelly Schirf (Assistant Principal) and Violet Austin (MTSS Lead). You'll find spirtwear on sale in the cafeteria and several organizations represented in the atrium.
Below you will find a repeat message from last week with important first day and first few weeks procedures. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
See you soon!
Puster Proud,
Holly
Upcoming Dates
School Start Time is 7:50 A.M.
School End Time is 3:25 P.M.
August
7 - Meet the Teacher, 3-5 p.m. Come and Go
9 - PTO Tears and Cheers in Puster Cafeteria 7:50-8:30
9 - First Day of School
9-18 - No Visitors or Volunteers Please
16 - STAAR Results Available in Power School
29 - PTO Ice Cream Social, 5-7 at Puster
September
1 - Student Holiday
4 - Staff/Student Holiday
8 - Leopard Friday (Full School Day)
15 - *Tentative* 3rd and 4th Grade Talent Show
25 - Fall Picture Day
29 - Student Holiday
It is time to update forms in PowerSchool! Please take a moment to update all forms and permissions. Directions for updating can be found here.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering. Your willingness to serve in this capacity is very much appreciated.
You may click here to access the background check application. Please provide as much identifying information as possible. An example of this would be to include your middle name. If all identifying information is not included, it is possible your background application may be denied. A new application must be submitted every year. All active volunteers will expire yearly on July 31st.
I am thrilled to share that we have staff members returning to Lovejoy and/or Puster this year! Welcome back:
Diane Dahl - 4th GT RLA
Lynette Ramsey - 4th Math
Grace Tobolka - Special Education
Marie Cloud - K-3 GT
Ally Hicks - PE Aide (former Kids First employee and daughter of Carolyn Hicks)
I'd also like to extend a special welcome to our Puster team members who are new to Puster and Lovejoy ISD:
Kelly Schirf - Assistant Principal coming from Frisco ISD
Brianna Ramos - 1st Grade coming from Wylie ISD
Brenda Sanchez - 2nd Grade coming from Indio, CA
Violet Austin - MTSS Lead coming from Frisco ISD
Jessica Mallett - 4th Math coming from Melbourne, FL
Samantha McLaughlin - SLPA
We are excited to welcome Linda Morelli back to Puster as our Special Education Clerk. She will also be serving Hart and Sloan Creek.
Elwood Nolan will be serving as Puster's Technology support. He will be serving Sloan Creek as well.
We are looking forward to seeing and meeting all of you at our upcoming Meet the Teacher event! In the meantime, click above to begin getting to know our dynamic team!
Meet the Teacher: Doors Open at 3:00 PM!
Kinder and Siblings Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival: Cars will pull through the front carline from 7:30-7:50. Students will enter the front doors and go straight to classrooms.
Dismissal: Siblings of kinder students will be released to wait with siblings in the kinder area. Cars will hold on Stoddard Rd. until directed to enter carline after buses arrive. Please have your car number hanging on your review window. Students will be walked to their cars beginning at 3:25 p.m. Please help your child learn his/her car number!
1st - 4th Grade Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival: From 7:30-7:50, pull through the back carline off of Stoddard Rd. Students will enter the back courtyard doors and head straight to their classrooms. This lane is one way. Please exit through parking lot to Hart Rd. Please always pull all the way forward.
Dismissal: Students will look for their car number to be posted and exit the building to wait by a helper and a cone. Please always pull all the way forward. We will monitor and tell students where to go once pulled forward. Carline begins dismissing at 3:25 p.m.
Other Dismissal Options
Walk-Up/Bike: Some parents choose to park in the back parking lot or walk to Puster from a nearby neighborhood to pick up their child. Please have your car tag ready and wait near the courtyard picnic tables. All walkers/bikers must be accompanied by an adult. For safety reasons, we do not have a walk-up/bike option for our front carline.
Transfer Bus: Older siblings who ride the transfer bus to Puster will be picked up in the back carline. Students will be held until an adult walks out with them at 3:25.
Back to School Birthdays are sometimes hard. This year, we are offering classroom birthday treats at the elementary schools for K-4th grade students. You can choose the day you wish to celebrate your birthday and celebrate coming back to school. The birthday treat box order form and all of the details are available on our Student Nutrition website. All of our treats meet Smart Snack guidelines and the food allergen information is available online. Parents are able to submit an order using the online form. We ask for the order form to be submitted at least 7 days before the celebration day. However, if your student's birthday is the first week, place the order and give me a call. We will do our best to make it happen. Student Nutrition will arrange pick up of the treat boxes with the student’s teacher and the celebration will begin. Please reach out to the Student Nutrition office or your campus cafeteria manager with any questions. Birthdays are memorable and this is such a fun way to celebrate!
Remember, it is never too early to order! You can even order now for those end-of-the-year birthdays now to ensure your student’s favorite treat is available! Hurry and get your orders in!!! It's time to Celebrate!!!!
Order here: https://www.lovejoyisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=388507&type=d&pREC_ID=881394
Miss B's Buzz
Welcome Back Sweet Families!
I hope everyone had a fun, safe & restful summer. I am thrilled to be returning as Puster’s School Counselor. Beginning of the school year is a great opportunity to click the refresh button and start off the new year with a positive mindset.
Here are some tips to help your child (& you) get back in the swing of a new school year:
Re-introduce your child to the regular routine. Consistency is key.
Check in - talk about how your child is feeling about the school year. Empathize with your child’s fear & anxieties, and address them.
Help your child set realistic goals for the year. This can help boost motivation & confidence.
Make sure your child views school as fun.
Involve your child in the preparatory activities.
Encourage bonding with school friends (new & old).
Set screen time limits. Discover a space for offline habits to develop.
Create a visual schedule if your child struggles with coming to school. The “unknown” can be scary - take the “unknown” out of the day.
Set up a study space in your home that is free from distraction and a consistent place for work to be done.
Practice Gratitude. By exercising that “gratitude muscle” daily, kids can harness positive thinking to improve their attitude about the year ahead.
Each month, I will conduct Guidance Lessons with each class (K-4th) to increase positive social skills, behaviors and choices. These lessons will be centered around our conflict management program: Kelso’s Choices and our district character traits. I will start Guidance Lessons on August 28th. Looking forward to a beautiful year!
Notes from the Library
Summer Reading Challenge! Students entering Kindergarten through 4th grade are being encouraged to read this summer.
Completed the challenge? Don’t forget to fill out this form before August 10th PES Summer Reading Challenge
READING CHALLENGE FAQ
What are this year's prizes?
The joy of reading, as well as:
Each student that gets the leopard to the library and reads 50 books or 500 minutes will have their name shown on the morning announcements and receive a DIY blank puzzle to decorate. (Because reading brings us together…) Please scan the QR code or follow the link to fill out the form.
Grade level: if your grade level has the most amount of participation in summer reading they will receive a … SURPRISE
School: if we have over 200 students participate in our summer reading challenge the school will have a … SURPRISE
What can my child read for the challenge? Nearly anything - books from home, books from our e-book and audiobook service SORA, any library, or books borrowed from a friend. Picture books, non-fiction books, novels, short stories, comics and magazines count! Have children read to themselves, read aloud to them, or they can listen to an audiobook! All reading counts!
Fine Arts News
4th Grade Announcement! Puster Pride Choir is having open enrollment right now! Any and all interested 4th grade students may join our official Puster Choir.
No auditions required! Registration ends August 31 so be sure to act fast!
All detailed information is located HERE, and our sign-up/permission slip is located on THIS GOOGLE FORM. Reach out to Mrs. Grall, our music specialist, with any questions! Happy singing!
3rd and 4th Graders, it's time to start thinking of and preparing for Puster’s Talent Show! This year we are excited to showcase our 3rd and 4th grade students' talents on Friday, September 15th! Talent Show registration will be completed online no later than Friday, September 1st.
Please click HERE to access the Talent Show rules and guidelines and to access the online registration form.
Registration must be completed by Friday, September 1st. 3rd-4th grade acts must audition and demonstrate a performance that has been well rehearsed. The audition process is new this year. *Your audition will not be a live, in-person audition. A video recording of your child's Talent Show Act will be sufficient. These submissions must be received via email OR Google drive by September 5th at 5:00 pm. Again, there will be no in-person audition this year. Please be sure your child's audition video recording is clear, audible, and considered "polished" and performance-ready. Acts not meeting this criteria will not be allowed to perform on stage September 15th.
Also new in 2023, your child may audition as a Master of Ceremonies. Our M.C.’s will also help with any backstage transitions. Those auditions will take place after school on Wednesday, September 6. Serious candidates only. All audition information can be found HERE .
Looking forward to this special Puster tradition!
Brooke Grall
Puster Music Specialist
Brooke_Grall@lovejoyisd.net
Direct link for details: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gDFlEEwZ2z7nIoGDk4iBzU5YUlhJt5Pe/view?usp=sharing
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Location: Robert L. Puster Elementary School, Stoddard Road, Fairview, TX, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PusterElementary
Twitter: @pusterlearners