Snyder News
December 2023
LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
Dear Snyder Families,
December is here! Cooler temperatures… disappearing daylight. Now that the winter months are upon us, please be sure your child is dressed for the weather on a daily basis. Most days we go outside for recess, and it is important that they come to school with a coat on the cooler days.
The upcoming weeks can be very exciting and can
sometimes become quite overwhelming as families prepare for the holidays and special traditions. As much as we’d all like to feel that we are organized and well-prepared for the upcoming weeks, each family deals with the stress of the holidays in different ways. Routines often fall to the wayside along with daily reading practices, consistent homework support, and even family meals. Consistency with a good night’s sleep and being to school on time will help prepare our students for all the learning and excitement this month.
Early Release Friday, December 15th @ 12:10pm and Winter break begins on December 18th – Students return on January 3rd
On behalf of Snyder Elementary staff, I want to wish all our families a safe, joyous, and wonderful holiday season!
Sincerely,
Crystal Poncho
Principal
SNYDER CLASS HOLIDAY PARTY SCHEDULE
We look forward to our Snyder holiday parties! Be on the lookout for more information from your child’s teacher.
December 14
○ ESCE 8:30 and 12:30
○ Kindergarten 11:00
○ 1st Grade 9:30
○ 3rd Grade 8:45
December 15
○ Pre K 8:15
○ 2nd Grade 8:30
○ 4th Grade 9:00
○ Life Skills 11:00
SUPPORT STAFF GIFT
During this time each year, we like to do something very special for the many people who take care of us here at school. These are the people who do not have children in a classroom to tell them “thank you” or give them a gift. They are our amazing custodians Mrs. Rainette and Mrs. Linda, as well as our “Fantastic Four” who work in our school cafeteria.
Our school will give these gifts to these wonderful and caring people on December 13th. Please help us share the spirit of the season with the wonderful people who take great care of our building, students, and all of us!
If you would like to monetarily donate to this worthy cause, please send your money in a sealed envelope addressed to “Support Staff Gift.” Your donation should be turned in by Tuesday, December 12th. Please remember this needs to be a cash donation, as we are unable to cash checks. All amounts are appreciated.
SNYDER UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS
UPCOMING DECEMBER DATES:
12/6 Spirit Sticks/ Smencils sale at Lunch by PTO
12/7 Spirit Sticks / Smencils sale at Lunch by PTO
12/7 3rd Grade Winter Holiday Program @ 5:30pm
12/8 Spelling Bee (NO LUNCH VISITORS ALLOWED on this day)
12/13 Sonic Spirit Day!
12/13 4th grade Poetry, Pastries and Parents
- 9:00-10:00am (White, Lafon, Bane, Montgomery)
- 10:30-11:30am (McClellan, Horne, Hughes, Staggs)
12/14 Snow Day Activities
12/15 Early Release @ 12:10
12/18 - 1/2 WINTER BREAK (NO SCHOOL)
WRITING A TEACHER ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE:
- Log in to Parent Access.
- Click on communication.
- Choose Staff/Teacher excellence from the drop down menu.
- Select the employee to receive recognition from the drop down menu.
- Click create TAE.
- Click any of the pre-populated choices that apply.
- Type any additional comments in the Additional Comment box.
- Click the box labeled Create Teachers Achieving Excellence button.
- Done!
PRE-K NEWS:
November was so much fun, and things are moving right along in Pre-K for December! We are so excited to welcome parents into our rooms for our holiday parties on Friday, December 15th at 8:15 a.m. We have many fun activities planned for this event and we know that your children will be so excited to have you join in!
We have finished introducing all 26 letters and sounds during our alphabet circle time! The kids have been working so hard at learning their letters and sounds and they are so proud of their accomplishments. Please continue to practice naming letters and producing letter sounds at home.
This month our big focus for math will be counting skills. Your child should be able to count 10 objects using a 1:1 correspondence and understand that the last number counted is how many objects there are. They should also be able to rote count from 1-30 without skipping any numbers. This is an easy skill to practice while riding in the car. We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and a very restful break!
KINDERGARTEN NEWS
Kindergarten is excited for all the fun happening this month.
The students will be working on reading pattern books, writing across pages, and joining and separating numbers up to 10.
Kindergarten will be learning all about family traditions. If you and your student would like to share about a special tradition celebrated by your family please let your student’s teacher know. Also please be on the lookout for more information regarding our annual holiday party.
Now that the weather is getting colder, please make sure your child's extra clothes reflect the weather. Make sure to label everything, so it can easily be found in our Lost and Found.
1ST GRADE NEWS:
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break and enjoyed making memories with your children. We are looking forward to all of the holiday fun that December has in store! Our First Grade Holiday Party is on Thursday, December 14th at 9:30. Be on the lookout for more information from your child's teacher. This month in math, we are learning about representing numbers using place value to 120. In reading, we will enjoy reading poems and traditional literature. In writing, your students will be authors of different types of poems, as well as authors of letters to a variety of audiences. In Social Studies, we are studying holiday customs and traditions and are looking forward to traveling around the world through our First Grade hallways and learning about how holidays are celebrated in different cultures. We hope you all have a happy holiday season!
2ND GRADE NEWS:
The best gifts come in small packages and for us, those small packages are your precious children. We are looking forward to the fun lessons we have planned for this month.
Reading: Literary Non-fiction- will look at story sequencing, character traits, and analyzing how we can pull facts and information from these stories.
Writing: Correspondence writing- cards, letters, etc.
Math: Number Patterns to 999 and Place Value to 999
Science: Magnets
Social Studies: Customs and Culture- Families and Customs
Wishing you peace, joy, and love this holiday season!
3RD GRADE NEWS:
Third Grade is super excited for all the holiday fun, activities and Christmas party this month!
This coming month in math, we will be finishing up our first unit on the representation and understanding of multiplication and division. Our test will be on December 8. We will introduce fractions before the holiday break and will pick them back up in January.
In science, we will be learning about soil formation, natural resources, and how we can reduce, reuse, and recycle to conserve our natural resources.
For social studies, we are learning about the colonial times and new nations as well as important people who helped our nation become what it is today.
As readers, we will be focusing on the characteristics of poetry. We will analyze poetry, discussing elements such as rhyme scheme and figurative language.
In writing, we will begin writing our own poems. We will focus on the structure of a poem as well as using details, figurative language, and imagery to bring our poems to life.
4TH GRADE NEWS:
Happy December!
In fourth grade we will be working on the following:
Math - We will be doing multiplication using the area model/box method up to 2-digit x 2-digit. We will also be using the area model/box method and the standard algorithm to multiply numbers up to 1-digit x 4-digits.
Science - We will be doing forms of energy: mechanical, light, thermal, and sound.
Social Studies - European Explorers of Texas and Missions of Texas
Reading We will focus on the genre of poetry, poetry structures and elements, and figurative language.
Writing We will focus on writing poetry. Our grammar focus will be on coordinating conjunctions and compound sentences.
NEWS FROM PE:
Students have been doing an awesome job and are having a great time in PE. In the coming weeks, we will be working on fitness, tag games, and fun holiday themed activities to keep students moving.
We can’t wait to see what the New Year brings!
Remember to send your child to school in tennis shoes and appropriate clothing on PE days.
NEWS FROM ART:
Snyder Stallions have been busy creating in art class this year! We completed Rodeo artwork and created some amazing winter art! We will continue working on winter themed art. Our art fundraiser will take place in the spring this year and we are looking forward to creating amazing ART!
Thank you for sharing your artists with us!
Mrs. Lindsey and Ms. Willis
NEWS FROM MUSIC:
Happy December from the Music Rooms! We are enjoying learning about some of the sounds and songs of the season! Fourth grade Choir will perform for the Montgomery County Commissioner Holiday Event, Third Grade is excited for their holiday grade level program, and second grade will start working on music for their program in January. We hope everyone enjoys time with their families and friends during this special and MUSIC-FILLED time of year. Sing, dance, play and make music this season!
NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY:
I want to extend a BIG thank you to everyone that helped make our Book Fair a success. I appreciate the volunteers that took time out of their busy schedules to lend a hand more than words can say. It was fabulous to see the kids so excited about buying their own books. The Book Fair makes it possible for us to order new books and to help fund special events.
7 Tips for Getting Your Kids to Read Over Winter Break
Try a reading challenge. Snyder’s Winter Break Challenge Link
Hook kids with a book set.
Share similar titles.
Find other books or series by an author your child already enjoys.
Don't forget non-fiction!
Take reading on the road.
Finally, make time to read together as a family.
Happy Reading
Kristi Ballard
“The Book Lady”
MORNING ARRIVAL:
Please know that it is not safe to drop students off when there is no supervision in front of the school and at any time the doors are closed parents MUST walk student into the front office to check in. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!
Please note that the busiest time to drop off is between 7:50-8:00 AM. Prior to this, there are few cars on Birnham Woods Drive. Please take this into consideration. Additionally, please carpool if possible. For students arriving between 7:15-7:30 am, they will go straight to the recess playground for extra play. Staff members will be on duty to supervise and monitor the students. When the bell rings at 7:30 AM, students will go to class, and meet their teacher.
CHANGE OF TRANSPORTATION AND PICKING UP EARLY:
Change of Transportation (no Later than 2:00pm)
If you need to change your student’s mode of transportation for the day, please send a note in their backpack and have them give the note to their teacher.
Note should include:
*Student(s) name(s) *Date(s) *Teacher’s name
* How they will be going home (include name of person picking up)
A same day change can also be emailed to Snyder@conroeisd.net before 2:00pm. (please cc their teachers).
Picking up Student Early (no later than 2:00)
The latest you can pick up a student in front office prior to dismissal is 2:00pm.
(Please let the front office know, in writing, if alternate person is picking up student.)
SCHOOL ABSENSES:
If your student is going to be absent, please reach out to your student's teacher and our registrar, Bonnie Sabbara.
Ms. Sabbara is able to excuse up to 2 consecutive days of sickness with a parent contact. If the student is out for longer than 2 days, a doctor's note is required to excuse the absences. Ms. Sabbara's email is bsabbara@conroeisd.net
DELIVERIES AND DROP TABLE AT THE FRONT OFFICE:
In an effort to minimize instructional time interruptions, our front office staff does not call the classrooms to inform the teacher/student that an item has been dropped off for a student. However, we know that sometimes our Stallions leave things they need at home and we offer parents the courtesy of a drop table to deliver forgotten items, which is located just inside the front office. There are pens, paper and tape available for you to use to clearly identify items for your child to collect. Please drop any items off by 10am and parents must EMAIL the teacher. (This is to help when lunches are dropped off, the teachers have plenty of time to check their emails and pickup the lunch on the lunch cart.)
We are working hard to minimize classroom interruptions.
If you cannot make it by 10am to drop off a student's lunch, please arrive for your students lunch time, listed above, and sign in at the Front Office and you can deliver the lunch to your child.
Student Lunches and birthday cookies will be taken to the Cafeteria, on a cart, for your child to pick up at their allotted lunch time. Please make sure ALL ITEMS are clearly labeled.
Here are a few guidelines:
- Deliveries from anyone or any organization other than parents/guardians will not be accepted by the school to deliver to a student. (Flowers, Tiff's Treats, etc.)
- Parents and guardians may deliver fast food, if they wish, but the school will not accept deliveries from restaurants or delivery companies such as DoorDash or Grubhub for students. These deliveries will be turned away.
SEVERE WEATHER DISMISSAL:
Severe Weather Dismissal (will be called at 2:45)
Inclement Weather WILL ONLY AFFECT THE WALKERS AND BIKERS DISMISSAL.
(If your student is car rider, bus rider, or daycare they will go home their normal way.)
Notification of severe weather dismissal will be sent as an email and text for those who have Parent Access accounts. You will be notified around 2:45 in order for procedures to be followed. Although we will make every effort to adhere to this time, there may be times when it may be necessary to make the call after 2:45.
If there is light rain falling, all biker/walkers will be dismissed as usual. It would be a good idea for students who walk or ride their bike to have a rain coat to wear on such days.
Parents of Bikers and walkers- make sure your child's teacher knows the alternate transportation for your child.
If your child is usually a biker/walker, and their alternate transportation is car rider, you will need to wait in the car rider line for pick up, or you may wait in the front office until the end of dismissal when we are able to retrieve your child from their alternate dismissal line. There is no need to check your child out from the front office.
Picking up Student Early (no later than 2:00)
The latest you can pick up a student in front office prior to dismissal is 2:00pm.
(Please let the front office know, in writing, if an alternate person is picking up student.)
If you have any questions call Ms. Bolton at 832-663-4400
SNYDER LUNCH GUIDELINES:
We are excited to welcome parents in to the building in a safe and healthy manner.
- Due to the size of our student population and every table in the cafeteria being utilized by our students, we encourage you to limit the number of times you eat lunch with your child to no more than 1-2 days per month.
- Please know that there is a designated "Visitor" area to sit with your child, by the stage under the TV.
- Parents may be more comfortable dropping off their child’s lunch, saying hi, and allowing your child to socialize with their peers.
- All visitors will need to check in the front office and show the receptionist your ID.
Please know that there will be many other opportunities to volunteer this school year, for example; Boosterthon Fun Run, Library Volunteers, PTO volunteers.
We look forward to safely welcoming parents and volunteers in the building and will continue to monitor how to make the lunch visitor process go smoothly.
IMPORTANT LUNCH VISITORS:
We welcome lunch visitors at Snyder and want to ensure the continued safety and security of everyone as they enjoy their time together. If a grandparent, family member or adult other than the parent/guardians want to visit your child during lunch, the parent/guardian must send in written permission to the front office by emailing snyder@conroeisd.net. The note will only need to be sent once; we will keep the information on file so the school will have record of the permission being granted for future lunch visits. If a note is not sent, we will call the guardian to grant permission before the visitor is allowed to join a student for lunch.
SNYDER LUNCH TIMES
Pre K 12:45-1:15
Kinder 12:40-1:10
1st Grade 10:40-11:10
2nd Grade 12:10-12:40
3rd Grade 11:10-11:40
4th Grade 11:40-12:10
AFTERNOON DISMISSAL:
School dismisses at 3:10 pm. The car rider line may take up to an hour, and buses could run behind. Please have patience with us, as it is very important that each child is safe. Each day, the wait times will get much shorter.
It is important for your child to keep their backpack tag on their backpack to assist with our safely procedures during dismissal. Please pay close attention to the dismissal forms your child’s teacher will have you complete. This information is very important to assist us with accurate dismissal.
- If your child is a car rider, you must have a the 2023-2024 district designated car rider sign to show at dismissal. Please write your child’s name(s) in BIG, BOLD, DARK writing to help read your sign. Car rider is a “follow the leader” activity, with patience please. You can expect car rider to last at least one hour. Please be sure that your car rider sign is visible at ALL times.
Please Do Not start forming the car rider line in front of the school before 2:00.
- During the school day, this fire lane needs to stay clear for emergency vehicles only. It is imperative that the lane in front of the school is clear any time before 2:00pm
Please be sure that your child can enter the car by the door closest to the curb.
Due to the safety of our patrols and students, we ask that you do not park and get out of the car to open the passenger door on the driver’s side. This is not only unsafe, but it also slows the flow of the car rider line.
If your child is riding the bus, please take the time to meet the driver, if possible. It helps them to see a face and it helps them to remember which children get off at the different stops. PK and Kindergarten students MUST have an adult at the bus stop to greet them. In addition, the adult needs to have the sign that was provided to them from the teacher. No PK or Kindergarten children will be released without an adult. If your child does not get off the bus, please call Snyder to verify they loaded the bus. Often times, children fall asleep on the ride home and miss their stop.
As a reminder, during dismissal no students will be able to meet their parents in our parking lot, near the tennis courts, or any of the school doors if they are a "walker/biker."
Daycare: Please verify with your daycare that they pick up at Snyder and that your child is registered to ride their bus at dismissal.
8:00 am Tardy Bell - Students are marked tardy
9:00 am Attendance Bell—Students are either present or absent for the day.
Picking Student up Early:
The latest you can pick up a student prior to dismissal is 2:00pm. Please come to the school with your ID to sign your student out.
Change of Transportation:
If you need to change your students mode of transportation at dismissal, please send a note in their backpack and have them give the note to their teacher.
A same day change can also be emailed to:
Snyder@conroeisd.net before 2:00pm (please cc their teachers).
LOST AND FOUND
Has your child lost one (or a few) Water bottles? Lunchboxes? If you feel that your student has lost an item, please have them check the lost and found. Students are encouraged to be responsible for their belongings.
Please note that the lost and found items will be donated at the end of each month or before a holiday break. To ensure that your student can reclaim items before the end of each month please place their names on their personal belongings. If you feel your student is missing an item encourage them to check the lost and found.
NEWS FROM THE CLINIC:
Wow! Here we are already in December!
Extra clothes
As we approach the upcoming winter months, it is a great time to check the extra clothes you've placed in your child's backpack and replace them with warmer options (pants instead of shorts, long sleeves instead of short, etc). It is also necessary for jackets to be worn on the colder days, as no child will be permitted outside for recess without a jacket or proper clothing. This follows our "Outdoor Safety" guidelines- there will be no outdoor recess if the "feels like" temperature is below 35 degrees. If recess is permitted in the cold weather, all students will be properly dressed (coat, hat/gloves, pants, etc) or they will be kept indoors. Again, this is only for the safety of our students! Please be sure to label your kids' clothing items- hats, jackets, extra clothes in backpacks, etc, so they don't end up in the ever-growing Lost and Found pile!!
Vision/Hearing Referrals
Remember to follow up on your child's vision and hearing referrals that were sent home this semester. If you need assistance with seeing a provider, let me know!
Classroom parties/celebrations
As we approach the end of the semester, we are excited that students are able to celebrate in the classrooms this year with class parties. An important reminder regarding food items: ONLY STORE-BOUGHT ITEMS WITH NUTRITION LABELS SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO SCHOOL. Please, no home-baked goods!! Labels must be available to ensure no items are served to our students who have a food allergy, sensitivity, or other food restriction. I really appreciate your cooperation in following this policy for the safety of all our students.
Learn with the Nurse!
I have enjoyed going into different classrooms to do a lesson on germs and the importance of handwashing! You'll have to ask your student if Nurse Emily came to their classroom and what they learned 🙂 'Tis the season for germs and illness, so please keep encouraging good hand hygiene with your kids so we can finish this semester strong!
As we count down the days to winter break my hope is that you and your families stay HEALTHY, THANKFUL, and ENJOY this holiday season together!!
Nurse Emily :)
COUNSELOR'S CORNER:
A Message from Mrs. MacLean and Mrs. Hayes
Stallion Superstars Character Building Skill
In December Snyder Stallions will be reviewing the Character Building Skills Self-Awareness, Responsibility, Self- Control and Dealing with Differences.
GT Nominations for Testing
Referral requests are now open for the Conroe Independent School District Gifted and Talented program. Although testing will not take place until Late January, referral requests are accepted at this time. Referral requests can be made by the parents and/or campus staff.
If you are interested in referring your child, you may want to discuss this with your child’s teacher. Referrals will be accepted through December 15, 2023. You may request a referral form from the front office or the Snyder Counselors. You can also find the referral form and other GT information on the CISD GT homepage.
Mental Health Minute:
Healthy Holidays
Although the holiday season is full of happiness and cheer, it can present challenges in the form of increased demands, family issues, a heightened sense of loss and more. It is important during this time to attend to our mental health and well being. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) (www.nami.org) suggests getting proper rest, taking time for (but not isolating) oneself, consuming food and drinks in moderation, exercising, committing to less, listening to music or finding other healthy ways to relax.
Winter Break with your child can bring about the opportunity for families to connect. Families can engage with each other by building new traditions, serving others, playing board games and building puzzles, and simply putting the electronics down and sharing stories and ideas with each other.
Listen- give each other space to talk and be heard. Don’t feel compelled to ease the silence and fill the pause. Let your child freely share.
Ask- ask your child to share what the holidays mean to them. Invite your child to share creative ideas about holiday activities. Ask open ended questions allowing your child to share solutions to potential problems they may be experiencing. Leave space for your child to problem solve on their own.
Acknowledge- your child's need for rest, play and connection. Encourage your child to take care of themselves by spending 10 minutes alone without distractions, take a quick walk, listen to soothing music, read a favorite book and get some well needed rest. Stay connected with your child by cooking together, playing games and just being with each other.
Wishing you a restful winter break full of goodness and gratitude.
COUNSELING SERVICES
The Snyder Counselors offer classroom guidance counseling focusing on the character traits, small group counseling, and individual counseling. You may request Counseling services by filling out the Parent Request Counselor Support Form or phone 832-663-4400.
PTO NEWS:
December 6th and 7th - Spirit Sticks and Smencils will be on sale for $1 each at student lunches.
The PTO December newsletter link is below.
https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/bFseJ2v98pUQW?
Staff Favorites Lists -
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AHxQmvAMcCZ8JoI&id=5544A35CF651E6B%217305&cid=05544A35CF651E6B
YEARBOOKS ON SALE NOW!!
The current price for yearbooks are $34. As the year goes along, the price will continue to increase so be sure to order yours today!
SAFETY NEWS:
Snyder Safety Facts
- Exterior doors are secured and have been checked per the state Exterior Door Audit
- Classroom doors are locked and secured all day.
- ID's will be checked on ALL visitors and badges will be worn at all times. Those without a badge will be escorted to the front office.
- Drills are done regularly to address fire, weather, intruder, and safety issues outside the building.
- Students in portables will not travel alone to or from portables.
- Interior and exterior cameras are monitored throughout the day.
- Police will monitor the building and grounds throughout the day.
For more information, please visit the Conroe ISD website regarding campus safety. The link is provided below.
OUR MISSION AT ANN K. SNYDER ELEMENTARY
Email: snyder@conroeisd.net
Website: https://www.conroeisd.net/schools/snyder-elementary/
Location: 28601 Birnham Woods Drive, Spring, TX, USA
Phone: (832) 663-4400