The Mane Tail
Friday, October 15th, 2021
Sampson Elementary
Email: sampson@cfisd.net
Website: https://sampson.cfisd.net/en/
Location: 16002 Coles Crossing Drive, Cypress, TX, USA
Phone: 281-213-1600
Facebook: facebook.com/SampsonElementarySchool
Twitter: @SampsonElem
MESSAGE FROM MRS. MOTZNY
At this time we are choosing to continue to seat students one seat apart in the cafeteria for lunch. We feel that this practice is still a necessary precaution for us to take. This means that we are still not able to allow lunch visitors at this time. We will review this practice again in the next few weeks, and we will let you know immediately if/when there are any changes.
We are very excited to be able to invite parents to our Field Day on Friday, October 29th. Please use the link below in the Field Day section to register if you plan to attend. Parents are welcome to come to lunch with their child on this day as well. Student lunches and the majority of our field day events will be taking place outside.
Parents are also welcome to attend our Veterans' Day Celebration on Friday, November 12th. We will hold our celebration in the front of the building around the flag pole. Parents are welcome to stand behind the students in the grass surrounding the front parking lot. Parents do not need to register if they are just coming to watch our celebration. In the event of rain, we will Zoom the Veterans Day Celebration. We hope that you will be able to join us for these events.
Sincerely,
Heather Motzny
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 20th- PTO Meet & Greet from 8:15-9:15am in The Sampson Cafeteria
Friday, October 22nd- Teacher Work Day (no school for students)
Monday, October 25th-Friday, October 29th: Red Ribbon Week
Monday, October 25th- Sunday, October 31st- Half Baked Goodness Spirit Week
Thursday, October 28th- Outdoor Spirit Shop & Bahama Bucks from 3:45-5:45pm
Friday, October 29th- Field Day (all grade levels)
Tuesday, November 9th & Wednesday, November 10th: Family Reading Night
Friday, November 12th - Veterans Day Celebration (in the front of the school) at 8:00 a.m.
Tuesday, November 16th - Sampson Night at Creekwood Grill
Thursday, November 18th- Sampson Night at Creekwood Grill
Monday, November 22nd- Friday, November 26th- Student and Staff Holiday (no school)
Saturday, December 4th- Jingle Bell Jog
Field Day
Field Day Pre-Registraiton
Visitors are welcome to attend field day and/or lunch on October 29th. Whether you are coming for one or both, every visitor needs to pre-register. Please use the link below to pre-register.
FIELD DAY - Friday, OCTOBER 29th
SCHEDULE
4th and 5th Grade
8:30-10:10 am Field Day
11:30-12:00 pm Lunch
2nd and 3rd Grade
10:20-12:00 pm Field Day
12:00-12:30 pm Lunch
Kinder and 1st Grade
1:00-2:40 pm Field Day
11:00-11:30 am Lunch
Volunteer Sign Up
Field Day is Friday, October 29th. Please use the following link to sign up as a volunteer! Sampson is looking for 4 volunteers per station and there are 10 stations. This does not include the volunteers that the Grade Level Committee Chairs have already recruited to pull wagons, help with water bottles or traps for lunch.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Tiffani Johnson or Katie Schleider, our Field Day Reps this year.
Red Ribbon Week Themes
10/25 Monday: Wake Up Drug Free
Wear your Pajamas to school.
10/26 Tuesday: Team Up Against Drugs
Wear your favorite team gear.
10/27 Wednesday: Saying NO is My Superpower
Dress like your favorite Superhero.
10/28 Thursday: Use Your Head...Don't Do Drugs
Wear your favorite hat.
10/29 Friday: Peace Out to Drugs (Field Day)
Wear your field day shirt or Tie dye.
Veterans Day
The students and staff will be participating in a tribute to our veterans on Friday, November 12th. We will be gathering at 8:05 AM around the flagpole at the front of the school to recognize the importance of this day. We would like to invite any veterans that are able to attend on this morning. We will ask all veterans to stand and be recognized during part of our celebration. We would like for all honorees to arrive by 7:45 AM. You may take your seat outside or you may gather in the Art Room for a Meet & Greet. Parents are welcome to attend, but we ask that you stand behind the students. Since all 900 students will be in attendance, it will not be possible for parents to visit with their child during this time. In the event of rain, veterans will be moved inside and the observance will be "zoomed" for students and staff. If you would like for us to include a family member or friend, please use the form below to RSVP.
Please RSVP on if a veteran is attending.
Nature Trails
NATURE TRAILS MAKE UP DAY
Great news! We will make up our Nature Trails Day 2 (postponed due to weather) on Monday, December 13th. Students will bring home a new permission form for the new date. Remember, students will:
- leave Sampson around 9am and return around 2pm
- wear long pants (not leggings), socks, and closed-toe shoes for safety. In addition, keep the weather conditions in mind. Your child may need layers that can be added/removed for comfort.
- bring a lunch in a container to keep insects out or purchase a box lunch from the cafeteria. Water bottles are recommended.
We look forward to a great day at the Trails!
Sampson Spelling Bee 2021-22
Sampson Students and Parents:
Here’s the buzz! On Thursday, Nov. 11th, there will be a written spelling test for qualification in the oral Sampson Spelling Bee to be held on Wednesday, January 5th from 4:00-5:30pm. Guests may attend the Sampson Bee.
This opportunity is open to all 3rd - 5th graders. The written test will be given during your child’s recess period, and a score of 100% is the goal to qualify for the oral spelling bee.
If your child is interested, please complete the attached permission slip and return it to the homeroom teacher as soon as possible (no later than Monday, October 25th). The list of words to study will be sent home once the permission slip is received.
**NEW FEATURE: If your child was a 2020-21 oral Sampson Spelling Bee participant last year and would like to participate again, they qualify for a “fast pass”. These students will not need to take a written qualifying test, but will receive the oral spelling bee study words after returning the permission slip.
If your child becomes our school Champion, the District Spelling Bee will be held on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, after school at the Berry Center. The winners will go on to a Regional Bee later in the spring.
Please complete the attached permission slip and return it as soon as possible.
Happy s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g !
Lori Wilson
Grades 3-5 Instructional Specialist/Spelling Bee Coordinator
From the library
Kindergarten had a fun visit with author and illustrator Brendan Wenzel on Thursday. We are so fortunate to have Blue Willow Book Store providing us with amazing opportunities!
Save the Date! Our book fair is coming! Please plan to attend your conference on Tuesday, November 2 and then shop at our book fair. The first shopping day will be on conference day. Students begin shopping on Wednesday, November 3.
Family Reading Nights will be on Tuesday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10! Come and shop and do superhero STEM activities!
Read, Run, Sampson is under way! Please look for emails from Mrs. Maddan for all students who registered. It will be a great year!
5th grade book club will meet on Friday, November 12 during lunch. We will talk about Pax by Sara Pennypacker. Read the book, join us for lunch!
Kindergarten enjoyed a great visit with Caldecott Honor Award Winner Brendan Wenzel. Blue Willow Book Store will keep the link for book purchases open until the end of Friday. If you are interested, please purchase it here:
https://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/virtual-school-visit-brendan-wenzel-101421
Spanish Action Based Learning Lab
Next week in Spanish class we will cover the following:
Kinder: Review Colors
rojo (red)
azul (blue)
amarillo (yellow)
verde (green)
morado (purple)
rosado (pink)
anaranjado (orange)
blanco (white)
marrón (brown)
negro (black)
gris (gray)
1st grade: Review Shapes
Las figuras planas (2 dimentional shapes)
El circulo (circle)
El cuadrado (square)
El rectángulo (rectangle)
El triángulo (triangle)
El ovalo (oval)
El pentágono (pentagon)
El octágono (octagon)
El rombo (rombus)
La estrella (star)
El hexágono (hexagon)
2nd-4th: Review Places in the Community and answer basic questions
Lugares de la comunidad: (Places in the community)
El vecindario (neighborhood)
La escuela (school)
El parque (park)
El supermercado (supermarket)
La piscina (swimming pool)
El cine (movie theater)
La biblioteca (library)
La tienda (store)
La gasolinera (gas station)
La comisaria (police station)
El consultorio (doctor’s office)
El correo (post office)
La estación de bomberos (fire station)
El restaurante de comida rápida (fast food restaurant)
¿A dónde te gusta ir? (Where do you like to go?)
Me gusta ir a _________. (I like to go to the _______.)
¿Dónde juegas? (Where do you play?)
En el parque. (At the park.)
¿Dónde compras la comida? (Where do you buy food?)
En el supermercado. (At the supermarket.)
¿Dónde nadas? (Where do you swim?)
En la piscina. (At the pool.)
¿Dónde compras cosas? (Where do you buy things?)
En la tienda. (At the store.)
Gracias,
Sra. Betancourt
Counselors Corner
Horizons (GT) Testing
The Open Referral Period for Mid-Year Testing (1st-5th) for the Horizons Program is open until Tuesday, November 30th. During this time, parents may choose to refer their child for testing. Parents can get a Parent Permission form for Horizons testing by sending a request to their child’s teacher. 1st-5th grade testing will take place in January and/or February and results will be received at the end of April. Services for 1st-5th grade students who qualify for the Horizons program will not start until next school year (2022-23).
Information regarding Kindergarten Horizons screening will be shared at a later time.
**No Late Permission Forms will be accepted.**
Small Group Counseling
As part of the guidance program at Sampson Elementary, we are offering small group counseling sessions (1st-5th). The purpose of the group meetings is to help children be more successful in school and everyday life by learning and practicing strategies that can be used independently.
Possible Topics:
· Friendship-learn how to get along with others and make/keep friends
· Changes in Family-dealing with recent separation/divorce/remarriage, or death in family
· Academic Focus/Motivation-learn and practice positive strategies to manage behavior in the classroom
· Self-Confidence-building self-esteem
· Anger Management-identify causes of anger and practice positive coping strategies
· Worry/Anxiety- identify causes of worry/anxiety and practice positive coping strategies
· Problem-Solving Skills- learn and practice problem-solving strategies
Groups will meet for 4-5 sessions during a non-instructional time. Groups will be made up of approximately two to six students from a grade level.
If you would like your child to participate in a counseling group, please contact your child’s counselor via phone 281-213-1600 or email.
Brigitte Campbell Leigh Ann Kasberg
Counselor: 1, 3, 5 Counselor: K, 2, 4
Message to 5th Grade Parents:
Information about K-Level classes for 6th grade:
Once students reach middle school, core classes are leveled: On-level and K-Level.
· On-level classes, just like K-Level classes, provide students with a college preparatory curriculum.
· K-Level classes have entry criteria to be put into the classes and criteria students must meet in order to remain in K-Level for the school year.
· K-Level classes are designed to challenge students beyond grade-level academic courses and prepare them for success in future advanced coursework. K-level classes are more rigorous and in-depth in content, often move at a faster pace, include different types of assignments and may require additional outside reading.
Students are eligible for K-Level classes in 6th grade (2022-2023 school year) if during their 5th grade year:
Ø Earn a yearly average of 85+ in subject (reading/language-average, math, science and social studies)
OR
Ø Earn Masters Level on the STAAR exam for the corresponding subject area
Students who meet the criteria will automatically be placed in K-Level courses for the corresponding subject. Parents may opt the students out of K-Level classes.
If students do not meet the criteria for eligibility, they will not be placed in K-Level courses.
Requests for Teachers to Complete Paperwork for Outside Sources
Requests for Teachers to Complete Paperwork for Outside Sources
(Rating Scales, Observations, Areas of Strengths/Weaknesses)
In order for teachers to fill out forms or other information needed for outside sources (doctors, psychologists, agencies, private schools, taekwondo, tutors, etc.), we must have a release of information (consent) form from the parent. Parents may request the permission form from the counselor or through the teacher. A new permission form needs to be filled out each school year.
Once the permission form is completed and returned, the teachers may fill out the requested paperwork. At Sampson, we follow the District’s procedure to send the paperwork directly to the outside source (doctors, psychologists, agencies, private schools, taekwondo, tutors etc.) via fax or mail. If the parent chooses for the information to be mailed, an envelope (addressed to the outside source with postage attached) should be included with the paperwork provided by the parent.
These procedures are to ensure the student’s needs are addressed legally and ethically.
If you have questions regarding this process, please contact the counselor.
PTO News
PTO Meet and Greet!
PTO is hosting a meet & greet on Wednesday, October 20th from 8:15-9:15am in the Sampson Cafeteria. Come join us and meet the new board and committee heads.
The meet & greet will be followed by a Committee Head Training, including Grade Level Committee, from 9:15-10:00am.
Garden
Garden cleanup days are back! Please visit here to sign up & help!
Sampson Clinic Needs You!
We currently have needs for volunteers to help Nurse Alms in the clinic. We have both morning and afternoon shifts available. Please visit here to sign up!
Field Day
Field Day is quickly approaching and we need your help! Be on the lookout for a sign up coming soon.
Half Baked Goodness Spirit Week: October 25th - 31st
Let's spread the Halloween spirit by booing your neighbors, friends and teachers! Half Baked will be offering 4 cookies for $10!
Outdoor Spirit Shop and Bahama Bucks Truck
We will be hosting an outdoors Spirit Shop along with the Bahama Bucks truck on October 28th from 3:45-5:45pm. Bring the whole family out to shop and enjoy a shaved ice!