Youens Gator Gram
January 9, 2019
PRINCIPAL'S NEWS-N-NOTES
Welcome back and Happy New Year to all! It’s time for fresh starts and resolutions. Talk to your children about what resolutions they might make for 2019. Perhaps it’s practicing their math facts for five extra minutes a day, reading one new book a week, being a better listener in class, or turning in all homework assignments on time. Every day is a fresh start, but sometimes a new year makes all the difference!
In 2019, we will continue to encourage positive behavior, provide students with opportunities to be leaders and support them in doing the right thing to contribute to our culture of success. Developing positive character within our students, along with solid academic skills, will give them the skills they need for future success!
Thank you to all of our parents for helping us celebrate these successes that play vital roles in a nurturing and thriving learning environment! See you soon!
Academic Corner
SCIENCE
Gator Parents! Your children will be starting our Forms of Energy unit in Science class. This unit involves learning about how we use mechanical, electrical, thermal, light, sound, and all other types of energy in our everyday lives. Please use these next few weeks to point out how important energy is to us and how we must conserve its use.
Help Your Child Build Reading Comprehension at Home
Families play an important role in how well students do in school. The most important part of reading with your child at home is to encourage the love of reading for enjoyment, but you can also play a part in increasing your child’s success at understanding. Here are a few questions that can be asked after your child has finished reading a fiction story.
Ø From reading this story, what do you know about the character(s)?
Ø How was the character’s problem solved in the story?
Ø What were the 3 most important events in the story? Why were they important?
Ø What do you think the character learned?
Ø What did you learn from reading this story?
Asking questions about what they are reading can increase your child’s reading comprehension skills and their confidence as a reader.
Award's Day
~Principal’s “A” Honor Roll Breakfast~
Parents of students who received “A” Honor Roll for the 2nd grade cycle are invited to join their child(ren) for the “A” Honor Roll Breakfast with the principal on January 18th. Parental support is a crucial part in student success.
8:30-9:00
~2nd Grading Cycle Awards Day~
On January 18th, we will celebrate student success and achievement during our 2nd Grading Cycle Awards Celebration. Students in grades 1st-5th will be recognized for achievement in the following areas ~
“A” Honor Roll,
“A/B” Honor Roll
Citizenship
Perfect Attendance
9:10-9:40 – 1st grade Awards
9:45-10:15 – 2nd grade Awards
1:50-2:35 – 3 -5th grade Awards
Nurse's Corner
It is that time of year when flu and cold germs are spreading through our communities. The CDC says that hand washing is a vaccination that you give yourself.
Hand washing will provide multiple benefits.
1. You reduce your chance of becoming ill.
2. You reduce the chances of infecting others if you are ill yourself.
3. You reduce the chance of carrying bacteria to your eyes and getting pink eye.
4. You save money on medical bills and prescriptions.
5. Reducing the spread of germs increases attendance of both staff and students.
WASH YOUR HANDS ALIEF!
Lice Reminders
When students are found to have lice or nits, parents will be notified and the student will be sent home. Students will not be able to return until they have been treated and are nit free. Parents must accompany the child back to school upon return. If a student with nits does return to school, he/she must be sent back again. Please check your child(ren) weekly for evidence of nits or lice. If you need assistance, please contact the school nurse.
SMART Tag
The Alief Independent School District has the tremendous responsibility of transporting approximately 27,000 students on school buses each day to and from school. Ensuring the safety and security of the students riding on those buses is our highest priority.
To facilitate and support this safety initiative the District has implemented the Smart Tag system this past school year to promote and ensure a positive school bus riding experience for all Alief ISD students.
All Alief ISD students will receive a plastic SMART tag ID badge. SMART tag ID badges will be required each time a child enters and exits the bus. We ask parents and guardians to help enforce this requirement so that students may take advantage of the privilege to ride the bus.
Alief ISD drivers will not leave students unattended at their bus stop if a student forgets or loses his/her SMART tag ID badge. However, a lost SMART tag ID badge must be replaced immediately. Failure to use the supplied SMART tag ID badge may result in disciplinary action.
If a student does not have his/her SMART ID badge for three (3) consecutive days, the Alief ISD Transportation Department will contact the school/campus so that the campus may communicate and notify the parent of the importance of Smart Tag.
When a student receive the maximum number of warnings allowed, the student may be subject to disciplinary action which may include the suspension of transportation service.
To obtain a replacement SMART tag ID badge, parents should contact their child’s respective school/campus. Replacement ID badges are $5.00 each.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Thursday, January 10
Report Cards Go Home
Monday, January 14, 28
Brighter Bites Pick-up
Tuesday, January 15
Parent Center Classes Begin
Tuesdays, January 15, 22, 29
YES Academy – 3:30-5:00
Thursdays, January 17, 24, 29
YES Academy – 3:30-5:00
Friday, January 18
Principal’s Honor Roll Breakfast and Awards Day
Monday, January 21
MLK Holiday
January 22 – 25
Career Week
Thursday, January 24
Literacy Night – 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Friday, January 25
Career Day Photo Booth - $5.00
Student of the Month Celebration – 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, January 31
Progress Reports Go Home