Buckalew Buzz- 20-21 School Year
August 12, 2020
Connect With Us!
"Today I choose to BE Kind, Work Hard, and Do My BEst!"
*disclaimer that items published in this newsletter may change due the COVID-19 pandemic*
Email: contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Website: https://buckalew.conroeisd.net/
Location: 4909 Alden Bridge Dr, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 281-465-3400
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckalewCISD/
Twitter: @buckalewbears
From Mrs. Price
Buckalew Families,
We have officially kicked off our 20-21 school year with the first day of school! We hope all of you were able to successfully zoom today with your homeroom teacher. I know all of our teachers were so extremely excited to meet their new students, and I hope your students were just as excited to meet their teacher and classmates! As we work together this school year, our theme is #BEtterTogether!
Patience, flexibility, and grace are key character traits we are all reminding each other of on a regular basis. We've never done this before. Please know that we all may experience technical difficulties as we learn and gain confidence in zoom meetings. If you and your child experienced zoom issues, please give yourselves (and our staff) grace and remind your child that this can happen to all of us and it is okay. We model and move on and show flexibility and look forward to the next scheduled zoom opportunity. We appreciate your patience with us as we are rolling things out in small chunks to attempt to minimize confusion and roll out the most updated information.
Thank you to all of you who came out Monday for our first ever Drive By, Wave Hi! We all have plenty of time ahead of us to be behind the computer, so we truly enjoyed seeing all of you face to face (even with a mask on).
Yesterday, we had a wonderful turnout for our PTO school spirit wear, school supplies, and technology pick up. Please know if you were unable to swing by, we have the spirit wear and school supplies ready in your child's homeroom class. If you ordered masks from PTO, they have not arrived yet, but should be here soon.
I want to point out that below you will find a LIVE INSTRUCTION schedule to help for your planning purposes. This will start August 17th. We are still working out kinks, so please read the information surrounding the schedule posted below as this may change as we evolve this school year. Additional small group instruction will come through invitations from the homeroom/special services teacher.
If you do not follow us on Facebook, please be sure to do so, there are many great pictures posted already and we'd love to see your first day photos and continued engagement throughout the school year. It helps us all feel a sense of community in a POSITIVE way.
As stated in the previous Buzz, please help your child's success and our partnership by staying positive, modeling perseverance, and making the best out of a pandemic. While we are all looking for ways to re-create our old normal, our teachers are working tirelessly to make this transition engaging and fun behind a computer screen to each and every child.
For questions or concerns, please make sure to visit CISD's Roadmap to Reopening, call our front office at 281-465-3400, or email contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Virtual Hugs,
Mrs. Price
Mrs. Price, Principal
#BEtterTogether
Our school motto our campus states daily and models regularly.
"Today I choose to:- BE KIND
- WORK HARD
- DO MY BEST"
Mrs. Price, Principal
Buckalew Check List
August 13: Food Distribution at Buckalew- see below for details
August 14: Plans for the week of August 17-21 will be communicated by homeroom teacher.
August 19: Parent/guardians of students with the most significant needs will be contacted.
August 21: Plans for the week of August 24-28 will be communicated by homeroom teacher.
August 26: PPCD, PreK, K and 1st Grade are invited to attend who selected in-person.
August 31-September 3: Grades 2-12 who selected in-person by last name alphabetical group on designated day only (see Ramp Up PDF below)
Aug 31 ONLY A-C ; Sept 1 Only D-J ; Sept 2 Only K-Q; Sept 3 ONLY R-Z
September 8- All Students who selected "in person" attend.
Back to School Ramp Up Plan-see PDF below
Food Distribution at Buckalew starting August 13th
Beginning Thursday, August 13, curbside meals will no longer be free for all students. Breakfast and lunch meals will be available curbside for students to purchase or free to students who qualify.
- Families are asked to pick up/purchase meals for all of their children at the campus of their oldest child.
- Meals will be available curbside at all campuses on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM - 12 PM.
- Multiple meals will be distributed at a time.
- Tuesday: 2 breakfast meals/2 lunch meals
- Thursday: 3 breakfast meals/3 lunch meals
- A student meal card must be presented to scan and identify the student when meals are picked up.
- This card is located in Parent Access and can be printed on paper or presented electronically on a phone.
- Any change from a cash transaction will be applied to the student's meal account.
- Pre-payments can be made at www.myschoolbucks.com.
- Meal prices and the free and reduced meal application are available on the Child Nutrition website.
Questions? Please contact the Child Nutrition Department at (936) 709-8185.
Buckalew Intermittent/Remote/Online Schedule-August 17 and beyond
We have worked extremely hard as a staff to build a schedule for parents to know when to anticipate live instruction meetings for their students. This may get changed as we work through the logistics of teaching in person and online, but our schedule below mirrors our in-person daily schedule. We are anticipating our students return in-person, and are trying to maintain consistency for our parents and teachers through intermittent and online platforms, all while keeping both structures in place. This schedule will begin the week of August 17.
Each Friday a weekly schedule with daily task lists will go out from your child’s homeroom teacher through Seesaw (k-2) or Canvas (3-4). Parents, you can alter the schedule to meet your family needs as long as tasks are completed and your student is engaged each day. Students are not required to participate in Live Instruction times below, but are encouraged to attend. Lessons will be recorded and available in k-2 Seesaw or 3-4 Canvas course. Each of our grade level teachers are reaching out to each of you to conduct parent conferences to understand how we can best support each of our families at this time.
Buckalew will follow CISD’s Roadmap to Reopening Guidelines and will structure the students’ Remote/Online Instruction and Intermittent Remote Learning schedule to require students to participate in an asynchronous model that will include synchronous learning. This schedule is subject to change as are the details. For questions, please visit the Roadmap to Reopening FAQ’s or contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Online Curriculum Access Videos – IMPORTANT UPDATES
Online Curriculum Access Videos
Beginning on Wednesday, August 12, all students enrolled in Conroe ISD will start the school year in Remote/Online Instruction. Students in grades PreK-2 will use Seesaw for courses and assignments, and students in grades 3-12 will use Canvas. Please see the videos below to learn about accessing these systems.
- PreK-2: Seesaw – English
- PreK-2: Seesaw – Spanish
- Grades 3-12: Canvas (student) – English
- Grades 3-12: Canvas (student) – Spanish
- Grades 3-12: Canvas (parent) – English
- Grades 3-12: Canvas (parent) - Spanish
On the first day of school, students must log in and complete/engage in an activity through their learning management system (LMS) to be counted as present. Students/parents may also make contact or engage on the first day of school by emailing or speaking with their child's teacher/campus.
Technology Help Desk
Conroe ISD will have a Technology Help Desk to assist teachers, students, parents, and guardians with Canvas, Seesaw, Parent Access, or Student Access. The Help Desk is available weekdays beginning Monday, August 10, from 7:30 AM until 9:00 PM. You may reach the Help Desk by emailing help@conroeisd.net or calling 936-709-7658. Canvas users can also click the 'Help' button prior to logging in for assistance.
Enrichment/After School
Connect with Buckalew's PTO!
Website: http://buckalewbearspto.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buckalewbearspto/
The purpose of the PTO is to: (a) promote the welfare of children at Buckalew; (b) to foster cooperation between parents and teachers in the education of children at Buckalew; (c) to unite school and community efforts in securing for all children the best education; (d) to engage in fundraising activities for the educational and recreational benefit of Buckalew, its children, teachers, and staff as determined by the PTO and in accordance with the PTO by-laws.
President- Paige Perry
VP Fundraising- Amy Kemp
VP Parent Involvement- Heather Lozinak
VP Communications- Jackie Berry
Treasurer- Elizabeth Kutka
Secretary- Janelle Ray
Parliamentarian- Natalie Ha
Yearbook
This year’s yearbook will be one for the history books. Although it will be a unique challenge to capture the story of the year and the students of our school, we are so excited to get started! That’s where you come in. Parents, students and members of our community can all be a part of the yearbook this year by emailing us photos at yearbook.buckalewpto@gmail.com Please include the student's names, grade, and teacher.
Get Connected!
Stay in touch with CISD by downloading our new mobile app!
Download the app on your mobile device today and select ‘yes’ to receive push notifications with the latest news and updates from the District.
Key Features:
- Push Notifications - Select ‘yes’ when you download the app to receive the latest push notifications from the District.
- Calendar Events - Add events to the calendar on your personal mobile device directly from the calendar section on the app.
- News - Check out the latest District-wide and school news all in one place!
School Messenger
Parent Access Login
To access your child’s information online you must register for an account.
Please go to the following link and follow the directions below:
Click the “Student/Parent” tab
Click on “Parent Access Center”
Click “Register”
Superintendent Dr. Null, Live Update August 6 Information
August 6, Dr. Null gave a live update on YouTube. Anyone who missed the update can view it on the Conroe ISD YouTube Channel. For information related to a specific topic, please see the times below. A Spanish version of this video will be posted next week.
- 0:09:40 – What happened at the Budget Hearing on Tuesday night? Will my tax rate decrease?
- 0:18:50 – What impact do the COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County have on our schools?
- 0:21:48 – What would keep us from being in schools?
- 0:25:48 – Will I be notified if there is a positive case at my child’s campus?
- 0:28:08 – Will students and teachers be required to wear masks?
- 0:30:30 – What do students need to do to “report” to school on August 12th?
- 0:50:55 – How will Conroe ISD ensure academic honesty especially in our high schools where GPA is so important?
- 0:55:38 – What will happen with extracurricular activities this year? What about football season?
- 1:03:00 – Is there an advantage in participating in Remote/Online Instruction versus Traditional In-Person Instruction?
Medication Administration and Covid-19
Wearing Masks- UPDATE
According to CISD's 2020-21 Elementary and Intermediate Student Handbook, page 14, students in grades 3 through 12 are required to wear face coverings while at school, in accordance with campus and District rules. (See COVID-19 Requirements) Students should provide their own face covering. Students who arrive at school without a face covering will be provided a face covering before they are admitted to class. Students who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical condition or disability must provide documentation from a physician to the campus principal prior to the student attending school in-person, so that options to protect the health and safety of staff and students at the school can be determined. Remote instruction will be provided for students who are unable to wear a face covering. Face coverings include cloth face masks and non-medical grade disposable face masks that cover the student’s nose and mouth. The CDC has indicated that it is unknown if face shields provide any benefits as a source control and are not recommend for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face coverings. The CDC recommends that if face shields are used without a mask, they should wrap around the sides of the wearer’s face and extend below the chin. Because TEA has indicated that students can wear face shields in lieu of face coverings, students wearing face shields will be admitted to school.
COVID-19 Requirements Students in grades 3 through 12 are required to wear face coverings while at school, in accordance with campus and District rules. (See COVID-19 Requirements) Students should provide their own face covering. Students who arrive at school without a face covering will be provided a face covering before they are admitted to class. Students who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical condition or disability must provide documentation from a physician to the campus principal prior to the student attending school in-person, so that options to protect the health and safety of staff and students at the school can be determined. Remote instruction will be provided for students who are unable to wear a face covering. Face coverings include cloth face masks and non-medical grade disposable face masks that cover the student’s nose and mouth. The CDC has indicated that it is unknown if face shields provide any benefits as a source control and are not recommend for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face coverings. The CDC recommends that if face shields are used without a mask, they should wrap around the sides of the wearer’s face and extend below the chin. Because TEA has indicated that students can wear face shields in lieu of face coverings, students wearing face shields will be admitted to school. Families may be required to complete a weekly/daily COVID-19 symptoms screener for each of their children, as well as take their child’s temperature before sending them to school each day. The screener will ask if a child has experienced COVID-19 symptoms within the last 10 days or had close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19. Close contact is defined by the Texas Education Agency as: (a) being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on); or (b) being within 6 feet 15 for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes, if either occurred at any time in the last 14 days at the same time the infected individual was infectious. Students will not be admitted to class until the screener is completed. More information regarding screen requirements will be provided by the student’s campus.
Hi Buckalew Bears! For those new to our family, I'm Mrs. Points, your school counselor. With each Buzz, I will have resources to support the social and emotional learning of our students. If your family has a specific need you would like to contact me about, please don't hesitate to email me at kpoints@conroeisd.net.
Starting in September, I will be offering small group counseling for students. This year, both socially distanced in-person groups and virtual Zoom groups will be offered. If you are interested in your child participating in a fall group, please fill out the below Google Form by August 28th:
Small Group Counseling Request "Counseling helps us grow!" docs.google.com
Counseling Resources
RCCG Tower of Refuge
285 Sawdust Rd, Suite A, The Woodlands, TX 7738
Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.
The Abundant Harvest Kitchen w/ Texas Familias Council
19121 Kings Row, New Caney, TX 77357
Thursday, 6:00 p.m.
Caney Creek Cowboy Church
17703 Nonesuch Rd, Conroe, TX 77306
Thursday, 10:00 a.m.
YMCA Outreach – Generations Church
405 Rayford Rd, Spring, TX 77386
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Dacus Baptist Church Mobile Pantry
5403 North FM 1486 Rd, Montgomery, TX 77356
Wednesday, 3:00 p.m.
The Abundant Harvest Kitchen w/ Texas Familias Council
19121 Kings Row, New Caney, TX 77357
Thursday, 6:00 p.m.
Church Project
602 Pruitt Rd, The Woodlands, TX 77380
Saturday, 10:00 a.m.