Eagle Updates
December 8, 2019
PTA MEETING!
From Mrs. Barry:
If you google the word “tradition,” you will get this definition: the transmission of customs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on this way.
You all know that I am an Aggie, as are my husband and children. At Texas A&M, we hold our traditions dear. Whether standing during the football games, not walking on the grass outside the Memorial Student Center, or saying HOWDY, we value these traditions so much that we even have Fish Camp for incoming freshman to educate them in our “Aggie ways.” But even A&M adds to, changes, or deletes some traditions. Ring Day has changed to a huge, all-day event, bonfire no longer burns (officially), and our big Thanksgiving rivalry game is now LSU (let's not talk about this year's game!). Though many of our traditions continue to be carried on as they always have been, there are also changes.
This corresponds to the traditions my family honors during the holiday season. We always have a live tree (my sister owns a Christmas tree farm, so this is a given!), we open our gifts on Christmas Eve, and Santa always brings something for our family to enjoy together (i.e., a game, sports equipment, or theatre tickets). But we’ve added “Friendsmas” with our closest friends, we’ve changed family dinner on December 24th to a special restaurant rather than eating at home, and we no longer drive around and look at lights during the break. Our time-honored traditions remind us of past holidays, honor family and friends who are no longer with us, and teach a bit of history. Our “new” traditions remind us that times, situations, and people change while providing additional opportunities that bring us closer together.
Change is hard – it’s much easier to add another tradition than to stop an old! Being incredibly sentimental, I have a very difficult time letting go of things – be they a physical item or something “we’ve always done.” I’ve come to realize, however, that sometimes holding onto to something no longer adds value to our celebration. It isn’t meaningful and may perhaps add additional stress. Sometimes there are other things that make the holidays brighter, more special, more impactful. I’ve also come to realize that I need to be flexible and let go of some of the rigidity surrounding some traditions.
As I’m writing this, I’m thinking about my first semester back at MWE. We are continuing a tradition of excellence, along with many activities, events, and expectations, while we are adding, modifying, and deleting others. Some are hard to let to go; others may be hard to embrace. But like my college alma mater or my family, a balance of continuing traditions that transmit our culture and of change that help us grow is necessary for continued improvement. Michael Kadoorie summarizes this nicely when he says, “Tradition means taking account of a wonderful history but remembering that everybody today looks to the future.”
As we go through our next two weeks of school, I hope you find a pleasant mix of old traditions and new ideas. Once we return from the holidays, we will begin planning for the 2020-2021 school year. Your input and opinions will be solicited, and we ask that you give us honest feedback. Be it old or new, we want to be sure that everything we do adds value to the educational experience for our Eagles.
As always, thank you for sharing your children with us!
Welcome home to MWE!
A HUGE thank you!
Please call Paver’s Enchanted (832-417-6825) if your yard could use some help!
Calling for Academic Volunteers!
For those who wish to help us after attending the meeting, training will occur on January 10th. Thank you for your consideration!
Season's Reading!
The Houston Library has a wonderful opportunity for students to earn a free book! Students are invited to read 20 minutes a day for 10 days. They can earn collectible buttons for registering, attending programs, and completing their reading goal.
- REGISTER: Visit houstonlibrary.org/seasons-readings.
- READ: Read anything you want, at least 20 minutes, and you can count that day. Log 10 days of reading and claim your prize.
- REWARD: Pick up your free book at your neighborhood library!
Please see flyer below for more information!
SFMS Blood Drive In Honor of Miles Hartz
Miles Hartz, current Spring Forest student and former Meadow Wood Eagle, is in treatment for Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. SFMS is hosting a Blood Drive in Miles' honor.
Tuesday, December 17
2:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Donor Coach
14240 Memorial Drive – Houston, TX 77079
To schedule an appointment, visit www.giveblood.org and login to Digital Donor. Enter sponsor code S251 or contact SFMS Principal, Ray Morris Barnes at (713) 251-4609 or raymorris.barnes@springbranchisd.com.
All blood donations are in honor of this patient and will go into the general blood supply for all patients in the Texas Gulf Coast Region. FDA policy requires blood donors to be unpaid volunteers. No individual may receive a financial benefit or credit from your blood donation today.
Specials Schedule for December
Please mark your calendar for these important events!
December 10
Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night (3 - 8 p.m.)
December 11
Garden Weeding
PTA Meeting (9 a.m.)
December 12
Nutcracker (4th Grade) (6 p.m.)
December 13
MWE Spelling Bee (8:30 a.m.)
SCHOOL BELL AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE! (see below)
December 16
2nd Grade Polar Express Day
Academic Volunteer Informational Meeting (8:30 a.m., library)
December 17
Choir Concert (6 p.m.)
December 18
1st Grade Snow Day
December 19
Pre-Kinder Rudolph Day
Kinder Grinch Day
3rd Grade Grinch Day
SWAG Field Trip (Rice University)
December 20
EARLY DISMISSAL - 12:00 p.m.
Class Holiday Parties
School Sing Along
December 23 - January 6
Student Holidays
January 7
First Day of Spring Semester!
End of Year Giving
Please consider donating to the MWE Eagle Excellence Fund for your year end charitable giving. Your donation is tax deductible and may even be matched by your employer. We are a short on this year's goal and would appreciate your year end support. Thanks to all those who have already donated.
To donate to go:
https://meadowwoodpta.membershiptoolkit.com
We greatly appreciate your generosity!
Help us say "Thank You!"
We are carrying on the tradition of collecting for gift cards to thank our administrators, receptionists, staff and teachers that don’t have “homeroom” classes (approximately 30 staff members). We would like to recognize them and thank them for their commitment to all of our MWE children this holiday season.
(Please note this is separate from the front desk collection for Custodians, Cafeteria, and Crossing Guards.)
Please drop off any funds you would like to contribute by Tuesday, Dec. 17th to Jenny Trahan, 14235 Cindywood, or send via Venmo to @Jenny-Trahan. Please call or text Jenny Trahan with any questions 713-248-3665.
Be sure to include “MWE STAFF” in the memo of your donation, along with your family name! A card with participating families’ names, and Amazon or Target gift cards will be distributed to staff members on Thursday, December 19th.
Sponsor Spotlight!
Frost Bank is a valued supporter of MWE. Please show your love and appreciation by visiting Frost Bank for your banking needs. Thank you to Mr. Wes Northington, Meadow Wood parent and Frost Bank representative.
Frost Bank offers customers a full range of banking, investment and insurance products to help better manage their money, grow their wealth and protect their assets. Their disciplined relationship approach has stood the test of time.
School Bell Award
It's that time of year again! The MWE PTA must nominate one of its very own to the SBISD Council of PTAs for the School Bell Award. Help us decide who will represent MWE as an an outstanding SBISD Staff Member. This can be a teacher, administrator, counselor, specialist, etc., who promotes the objectives of the PTA (in short - making sure every child's potential becomes his/her reality) and is an advocate for all children. If you know of someone who goes above and beyond for all of us at MWE, please take the time to nominate them.
Please send the name of your nominee and a description as to why you think they should win the School Bell award to Christina Gronauer at christina_gronauer@yahoo.com. Feel free to enlist the help of students for your nominations! Recent MWE recipients include Ami Rapp, Jessica Leonard and Natalie Waggenspack.
Please submit your nominations by December 13th. The winner will be announced in mid January and attend the Founder's Day Banquet in February. We look forward to reading them!