22-23 NSE Mustang Message ~ August
#NSEhero #MustangStrong
Message from the Principal
Dear Families,
We are looking forward to beginning the 2022-2023 school year. Our hallways and classrooms are ready to be filled with our little mustang superheroes. We are looking forward to an amazing school year! For those of you that are new to our school, welcome! Be on the lookout for a newsletter each month and follow the district Facebook page for other important information. Links are at the bottom of the newsletter.
Our first big event this year is Meet the Teacher on Monday, August 8 from 4:00-5:30. We encourage every family to attend in order to help your child find his/her classroom. We will have a back-to-school yard sign for a fun photo opportunity too. (BIG thanks to Yard Memories LLC!) Attending this event will help your child have a much smoother first day. PK students will have a school bus orientation at this time as well.
As requested by many parents, we will allow parents to walk their children to their class on the first day of school. Students will need to go home the way you requested on the transportation portion of registration starting the first day of school. After the first day, visitors are not permitted to walk students into the building. We will have fourth graders and staff help the younger students to their classes. Older siblings that also attend our school can walk them as well.
Our theme this year is "Learning is Our Super Power". Every child has a superhero inside waiting to be discovered. We are excited to discover the hero in your child and help them meet their full potential! We will use the theme to encourage and inspire the students to do their best each day. I imagine along the way we will have a lot of fun too!
This newsletter has a lot of important information. (New staff, dress code, & school supply list) Please keep reading and scrolling until the end. You can come back to the newsletter any time to review important information. Thank you for working with us to make this year SUPER as we soar to new heights!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Atkins
Principal NSE
Important Dates
August 8 PK-4 Meet the Teacher 4:00-5:30 ~ PK Bus Orientation
August 10- First Day of School for registered students. If your child is not registered, they will not be able to start school today.
August 11- 8:30-1:00 Registration at the elementary campus
September 5- No School Labor Day
September 9- Grandparents Day (More information will be sent home.)
Transportation
Routine
Car Riders
We will have poles out for cars to pull up beside (RED, WHITE, BLUE, YELLOW & GREEN). Please pull up to the next available pole and wait for the staff to open the door. Please do not let your child out of the car without us helping.
Afternoon pick-up begins at 3:15. The gates will open at 3:05. We have a car line path to avoid blocking home driveways. We will give you a map of the pathway at Meet the Teacher. We will have poles out again for cars to pull up beside. We will direct your child to go to your car by the pole color.
Transportation Changes
PK Bus Practice
Curbside Pick up and Drop Off
Car Rider Dismissal Tags
Brooke Davis ~ Third Grade ELAR
Fun fact about yourself: We are a military family and new to Texas. Of all the places we have been, I am most excited to be here and a part of this community.
This year, I am looking forward to meeting my new students and getting to know them. I am excited to be teaching third grade this year and can't wait to get the school year started!
Candice Chapman ~ Fourth Grade Math
Fun fact about myself: I climbed one of the highest mountains in Hawaii called Koko Head.
I am looking forward to making this one of the best school years ever! I want parents to know can’t wait to see your kiddos and make this a fun year for them!
Teresa Gooch ~ ECSE
Fun fact about myself: I enjoy going to the beach and spending time with my family.
I’m looking forward to meeting my students and their families and helping my students become lifelong learners.
Ashlee Kelley ~ Kindergarten
Fun fact about yourself: My favorite food is tacos!
I am looking forward to being a Mustang again and having a great year! (Former name, Rangel)
Noelle Calabrese ~ ECSE
Fun fact about myself: I have a handsome one-year-old son and a beautiful fur baby named Sophie.
I am looking forward to joining the Nixon-Smiley community as well as making positive relationships with families.
I would like parents to know we will work together as a team to not only support students academically but in all facets of their lives.
Ashley Miles ~ Second Grade
Fun fact about yourself: I love to travel! Getting to meet new people and see new places is my absolute favorite.
I am looking forward to being new to the district, I am looking forward to getting to know everyone at Nixon-Smiley Elementary and meeting all of my new students.
Anything else you would like parents to know? I have lived in Nixon for 7 years and am very excited about getting to work within my own community. I have two daughters that are excited to begin the school year here, as well!
Jaquelyn Cunningham ~ Counselor
Fun fact about yourself: I was the drum major in my high school band.
I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and having fun in my room with the students.
Anything else you would like parents to know?
I absolutely LOVE flamingos because they remind me to stand out and be different and unique. I grew up on a ranch in central Texas where my father worked. We moved our family down here to family land about 10 years ago.Awesome New Teacher Assistants
Brittany Brooks
Mariah Aguilar
Shara Hecox
Rocio Steffens
Raegan Deleon
Maricela Rivas
Joanna Soto
Marissa Munoz (Not pictured)
Capturing Kids' Hearts (CKH)
In order to build a positive school culture, we use strategies from the CKH program. This year we are also adding weekly character lessons. Each month will have a theme. The theme for August is EMPATHY.
What is Empathy?
Empathy is the ability to be aware of, understand, and be sensitive to another person’s feelings. Instead of focusing how these feelings impact ourselves, empathy motivates us to focus on others and respond with care and compassion.
Why focus on Empathy?
- Empathy builds positive classroom culture. Empathy empowers students to learn to understand each other to build trust and safety in the classroom.
- Empathy strengthens community. Empathy helps students strengthen their relationships with classmates, other students and adults at school, and at home.
- Empathy prepares your students to be leaders in their community. The best leaders understand the people they lead and are able to show they care.
Empathy in Action:
- Take a different perspective. When you take a different perspective, you put aside your own feelings and reactions to see the situation through another’s eyes.
- Put aside judgment. Take a pause and rather than express conclusions about a situation based on what you see, step back and consider other things you may still need to know or understand.
- Communicate that you understand. Instead of giving advice, respond with reflective phrases like, “It sounds like you...” or “I hear that you...” to express that you understand and care.
You can help at home by talking about the theme each month with your child. The same theme will be taught on all NSCISD campuses. If you have children on multiple campuses, you can discuss the theme as a family. We will let you know about theme in each newsletter.
Outside Food
You may send cupcakes for your child's birthday. Call your child's teacher to schedule a birthday celebration. This may be scheduled after 2:30 pm. The only other time we can accept outside food to share with the class is on our party days. We get three a year: Christmas, Valentine's Day, & Easter. Any other days outside food, must be linked to an educational activity and approved by the principal.
Lundy Atkins, NSE Principal Tamatha Pecina, Assistant Principal
Email: atkinsl@nixonsmiley.net
Website: www.nixonsmiley.net
Phone: 830-857-1561
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nixon-Smiley-CISD-Home-of-the-Mustangs--264506510244649/?ref=br_rs
Twitter: @NixonSmileyEL