Lions Lines
October 2016 * Hamilton Elementary School
UPCOMING EVENTS
1617 Calendar at a Glance: http://tinyurl.com/1617HEScalendarATaGlance
Family Fitness Calendar: http://tinyurl.com/OCT1617familyfitness
October
5 Watch DOGS Training - 7:30 am & 5:30 pm in the Cafeteria
7 PTO Meeting at 9:30 am
10 Student Holiday
Parent Teacher Conference Day - http://tinyurl.com/ParentTeacherConferenceLetter
11 Firetruck visit for Kdg, PK, PPCD
College Day - Wear College Shirts & Colors
12 Fall Pictures
13 Career Dress Up Day
17 1st Gr. Egg & Nest Demo
21 End of First Grading Period
PTO Neon Circus XXL 6-10 pm at the CFISD Exhibit Hall
24-28 Red Ribbon Week
24-25 Hearing and Vision Screening
26 Author Visit: Steve Swinburne for K, 1, 2
27 1st Gr. Parent Involvement Activity: Pumpkin Day
28 Storybook Character Dress Day
Report Cards go home - 1st Nine Weeks
November
1 9 AM Kdg. 50's Day Program
10 AM 1st Gr. 50's Day Program
4 9:30 AM PTO Mtg.
8 Election Day - Pct. 805 Poll
No Lunch Visitors, please
11 Veteran's Day Program
14 -18 Library Scholastic Book Fair
16 KISS Lunch for Kdg,, PM PK/PPCD, 3rd Gr.
Late Night Book Fair 4:30 PM-7:45 PM
17 KISS Lunch for 1st & 4th Grades
18 2nd Grade Grandparent's Day
KISS Lunch for 2nd & 5th Grades
21-25 Thanksgiving Holidays
29 Progress Reports go home
Parent Teacher Conference Day - October 10th
During the month of October, teachers will be requesting a conference with you to share information about your child. During your conference, the teachers will provide you with information about your child's strengths, what they enjoy doing at school and how they are progressing academically.
Dr. Henry has provided a work release letter for parents to attend their child's conference. Please click on the link to access the letter:
English version: http://tinyurl.com/1617PTconfLetter
Below are some tips to help you prepare for your conference. The full article can be found at: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/parent-teacher-partnerships/make-most-your-teacher-conference
Before the Teacher Conference
- Start preparing early. Don't wait until the night before to get organized. Create a folder at the beginning of the year in which you store test scores, big homework assignments, and your notes (about things your child has told you or any other topics you want to address).
- Talk to your child. Ask how she's doing in class, what's going on during lunchtime, recess, and when she goes to special classes like music or gym. "You want to find out both the positive and negative," says Rozea. If you don't like what you're hearing, investigate. Talk to other parents to see if their children are expressing similar concerns. "You need to find out whether your child is perceiving everything accurately or if she's misunderstanding a situation," she says.
During the Teacher Conference
- Arrive early. With only a few precious minutes to spend, you don't want to be late. It will shorten your time with your child's teacher and affect her day's entire schedule.
- Enter with the right attitude. The goal of both the teacher and the parent should be the success of the student, but sometimes parents have a hard time discussing tough issues. Rather than put the teacher on the defensive, arrive with a compliment to start the conference off on the right foot. ("My son is really enjoying the unit on space" or "We had a great time on the field trip.") Then address any concerns in a respectful way.
- Find out the communication protocol. Don't let this be the only time you talk to your child's teacher. Ask how she likes to communicate, suggests Sagarese, whether it's by e-mail, notes passed through a folder, or phone calls. "Reinforce that you are there if she wants to talk to you," she says. "Let the teacher know you want to be that kind of partner."
After the Teacher Conference
- Follow up. If the teacher brings something to your attention that needs to be addressed with your child, take steps to put the plan in motion, whether it's helping with organizational skills, getting extra help, or addressing a social issue.
- Update your child. Start with the positive things her teacher had to say, then fill her in on any concerns you and the teacher discussed. Explain how you can all work together to ensure your child has a successful year.
Automated Absence Calling System
Parents/Guardians:
Hamilton Elementary is now a part of the districts Automated Absence Calling System. When your child is marked absent for the day, an automated call will be generated from the district, indicating your child was absent. This is just a notification. Remember, your child’s absence is excused upon receipt of a signed letter from the parent/guardian, sent in with the student or dropped off at the front desk. Emailed excuses are no longer accepted. If you have questions, please contact the attendance office by email at stephanie.burke@cfisd.net, or by phone at 281-320-7051.
Fall Pictures by Lifetouch
Light the Night
*****October Kings & Queens of Kindness*****
PPCD & Pre-K
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
**** Counselor's Corner ****
Word of the Month
Our word of the month for this month is “Courage”. Courage is being brave enough to do what you should do even if you’re afraid. We all get scared. In fact, being afraid can help to protect us at times.One of the most common fears is a fear of the dark. This month, your family can show some courage with a game of flashlight tag inside your house or outdoors in your neighborhood. This can help make those fears go away by using the fear to create some fun out of it! If one of your fears isn’t about being afraid of the dark, you could still play this as a fun activity to do as a family! As a conversation starter, you could ask your children if they have ever been afraid or scared of something, and what they chose to do in the moment. You can use that as a teaching opportunity to discuss what fear is, and provide a variety of things for them to do or try while they are in that specific moment of feeling that fear.
College and Career Week!
Hamilton Elementary will be participating in College/Career Week the week of October 11th-14th. It is never too early to begin speaking to your children about attending college in order to have the career they want, and planting the seed now. Yes, even as early as Kindergarten! To help support college/career awareness along with us, please dress your children in college gear on Tuesday, October 11th. On Thursday, October 13th, dress your children in their chosen career attire! Additionally, I encourage you to have a family discussion at home about your own college experiences, or your goals for your children as they move their way up through their Senior year in High School and on to Higher Education!
Gifted & Talented Testing Information
For parents interested in having their child screened for the Horizons (Gifted and Talented) program, the referral period for spring GT testing begins on October 3, and ends on December 2 at 4:00 PM. “Parent Survey and Permission to Test forms” will be available at the front office, from your homeroom teacher, or by contacting the counselor, Michelle Erickson at michelle.erickson@cfisd.net.
Completed forms must be returned to the campus Counselor by December 2 at 4:00 PM. Late forms will NOT be honored, no exceptions.
· Kindergarten students will be tested on their campuses during the school day in January 2016, and students in grades 1-5 will be tested on their campuses during the school day prior to Spring Break. Specific testing dates will be provided to parents by the campuses, once the schedule has been created.
· Kindergarten students who qualify for HORIZONS will receive services beginning in March 2016 with parent permission.
· Students in grades 1-5 who qualify for HORIZONS will receive services at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year with parent permission.
Please also see the attached Horizons Identification Process Flow Chart for a more detailed explanation of the process that must be followed to refer your child for testing.
Horizon's Identification Process: http://tinyurl.com/1617GTflowchart
Attention all 5th grade parents!!
The following information is important to know in advance as your 5th grader moves through his/her 5th grade school year. Middle school classes are leveled into two levels: on level and Level- 1. Entry into Level-1 has very specific criteria, and this criteria must be met in order for your child to be eligible for Level one. At the end of the 3rd nine-week period, if your child meets the 85+ average, a letter will be going home for you to sign and return to me as a provisional placement for Level-1. End-of year averages are the final qualifier for all Level-1 courses. Please see the following for your child to meet this eligibility:
Level One Criteria:
- Earn a yearly average (an average of all four 9-week periods) of 85+ in subject (reading/language-average, math, science and social studies)
OR
- Earn Level III - Advanced on the STAAR Reading test to be eligible for Level-1 Language Arts/Reading and/or Social Studies;
- Earn Level III - Advanced on the STAAR Mathematics to be eligible for Level-1 Math and Science
AND
- Obtain parent permission to enroll in Level-1 class
Watch DOGS - Dads of Great Students Program Information
Do you want to be a Watch Dog Dad? The Watch Dog Sign-up has gone live, and our start date is right around the corner! We had a very successful second year of our Watch Dog Program last year, and I know that our third year will be amazing as well! Please note: if you were a Watch Dog Dad last year, you will not be required to attend another training this year. However, if you were NOT trained last year, you will be required to attend a training prior to your volunteer date. There will be one training each semester, so depending on which semester you sign up for, that will determine which training you will have to attend. If you cannot attend a training that is prior to your sign- up day, then you will need to choose a different date to be a Watch Dog Dad volunteer. The training sign-up is embedded in the main Watch Dog Sign-up Genius link. The fall training date is October 5, and the spring training date is January 11.
Be looking for the sign-up to be sent out in our next newsletter for the month of September. If you are interested, and have not ever been trained, please save the training dates for either the fall semester (October 5), or the spring semester (January 11) now! We are excited to get this wonderful and unique program as one of our volunteer opportunities again this year!
Red Ribbon Week is October 24-28
The purpose of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a visible commitment to a safe, healthy and drug-free lifestyle. The campaign is designed to accomplish the following:
- to create awareness concerning the problems related to the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
- to support the decision to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
Red Ribbon Week began in 1988 in honor of DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was kidnapped and killed in Mexico in February of 1985. Agent Camarena, then 37, had uncovered a multi-billion dollar drug scam in which he suspected officers of the Mexican Army, police forces and government. As he left his office one day, five men appeared at his side and kidnapped him. His body was found one month later in a shallow grave; he had been tortured and beaten.
The first Red Ribbon Week was proclaimed in 1988 by the U.S. Congress in support of Agent Camarena and the cause he gave his life for -- combating drugs. The week is marked by the wearing of a red ribbon to send the message: Live drug-free!
As we get closer to Red Ribbon Week, be looking for information about what the daily slogans will be and how to dress your children to match the theme!
Are you Interested in Becoming a Mentor?
We need you! Are you interested in making a difference in a child’s life? The Cy-Fair Mentor program is a cooperative effort of volunteers from buisnesses, faith-based and/or non-profit organizations, the community, and Cy-Fair ISD designed to encourage students (K-12) to finish school and to focus on future education goals and career choices. A committed mentor can be a wonderful role-model by helping a student with his/her academic and social development. Mentors meet with students one-on-one for approximately 30 minutes each week, on a specific day and time.
If you are interested in making a commitment to a child here at Hamilton Elementary, you will first need to attend a district training session at the Berry Center, complete a mentor application, and consent to a criminal histroy record check. If you would like to get more information, or to sign up for a training session and access the mentor applications, you can log onto the CFISD website at www.cfisd.net/mentor, or contact Leslie Francis in the Community Engagement Department at leslie.francis@cfisd.net or at 281-894-3950. The following dates are upcoming training sessions, and you must register prior to attending:
Tuesday, October 4: 12:00 pm-1:00 pm (located at the Berry Center)
Wednesday, October 26: 9:00 am- 10:00 am (Berry Center)
Friday, November 11: 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm (Berry Center)
*more dates will be scheduled throughout the year if you cannot attend one of these.
**** News from the Library ****
Library News
Author Steve Swinburne will be visiting all K, 1, & 2 classes on October 26th. Order forms for autographed books by Steve will be sent home with students on 9/30 and it’s attached to this Lions Lines. These are wonderful keepsakes of his visit or gifts for family and friends! To learn more about Steve, his books, and to get a sneak peek of his visit, visit his website at www.steveswinburne.com. Parents are welcome to attend his presentation, but alternative care needs to be made for non-school-aged children. Thank you PTO and the Neon Circus for sponsoring Hamilton Library’s Visiting Author Program. (FYI – Barbara O’Connor will be here on January 20th for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Be sure to bid on the VIP Meet & Greet opportunity at The Neon Circus!)
Steve Swinburne Book Order Form: http://tinyurl.com/StevenSwinburne
Birthday Books
Birthday Book Form: http://tinyurl.com/1617HESbirthdaybook
August
Leah Babbitt
Bianca Byerly
Katie EllisSegen Spee
Reagan Vineyard
McKayla Walker
John Zink
September
Emily Beveridge
Lucy Boyermann
Pablo Mojica Castro
Ethan Chaikin
Abigail Cooksey
Emilio Gomez
Isabella Gomez
Max GurtowskiDominic Locandro
Christian Luna
Emma Mangold
Ethan Miller
Toby Mosscrop
Cade Murray
Jace Smith
Addison Stout
Jace Warren
Lane Wessels
October
Gage Booher
Reid Booher
Samantha Campbell
Emma Carroll
Nathan Chu
Jamie Diamond
Parker Downey
Easton Fields
Abby Georgson
Logan Herrmann
Jared Klaus
Reese Leopard
Wyley Mallory
Keegan Beyer Pack
Kevin Ramirez
Javier Rangel
Holly Scott
Zachary Turner
Hailey Underwood
Mark Witliff
Ayla Zafar
**** PTO Information ****
Neon Circus XXL - October 21
Raffle ticket sales are going on through October 17! In the lead right now for most tickets sold is Mrs. Chrapliwy's fifth grade homeroom!
Be looking for Class Silent Auction Basket theme letters and donations requests, as well as, pre-wristband sales information to go home by Wednesday of next week!
Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination is an educational program where student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournaments. If your child loves to be creative, solve problems and enjoys team work, this might be for you! More information can be found by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/1617DIinfo
What do you need to know when considering if DI is a good fit for your child.
- Please read the information above carefully.
- Each team will be required to have a parent as a Team Manager. Teachers do not serve as Team Managers.
- Team practice sessions take place at parent homes, parks, etc., and are not held at HES
- The time commitment by students and parents is considerable. Teams typically meet at least weekly and closer to the DI tournament often meet several times a week.
If you are interested in participating in DI, please contact our DI parent volunteer, Hadia Hussain at Hamiltonpto15@gmail.com.
***School Information***
Update School Messenger Information
School Cash Online
- Pay your child’s school fees online! Anytime, anywhere.
- Avoid the hassle of having cash on-hand to pay for school fees.
- Receive email notifications regarding school fees and events.
- School Cash Online is our school’s preferred method of payment.
- Get started today by registering your account at https://cypress-fairbanksisd.schoolcashonline.com/
Helpful Information & HES Calendar at a Glance
Helpful Information page 1: http://tinyurl.com/HEShelpfulinformation1
Helpful Information page 2: http://tinyurl.com/HEShelpfulInformation2
1617 HES Calendar at a Glance - dates are subject to change. Please refer to the Lions Lines for updates: http://tinyurl.com/1617HEScalendar
School Cash Online sign-up link: https://cypress-fairbanksisd.schoolcashonline.com/
Parent & Student Handbook
***CFISD Information***
CFISD District Information
2016-2017 Calendar: http://www.cfisd.net/en/calendar/
School Messenger: Text Message Sign Up
The directions for adding text messages to your School Messenger account are in the link below. All parents need to update their School Messenger Information:
http://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/contacts-communications/schoolmessenger/
Stay Connected
Follow HES on Twitter @Hamilton_Lions
Follow our HES on Instagram by searching for Hamilton_Lions
Don't forget to keep up to date with PTO events, news, and reminders by "liking" their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HamiltonElementaryPTO
Hamilton Elementary
Email: hamiltonelem@cfisd.net
Website: http://hamiltones.cfisd.net/en/
Location: 12050 Old Kluge Road, Cypress, TX, United States
Phone: 281.370.0990
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HamiltonLions
Twitter: @Hamilton_Lions