Buckalew Buzz
January 22, 2024
Connect With Us!
Buckalew Bears Motto:
"Today I choose to BE Kind, Work Hard, and Do My BEst!"
Our school hours are officially 8:00-3:10. Students may arrive as early as 7:30.
Email: contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Website: https://buckalew.conroeisd.net/
Location: 4909 Alden Bridge Dr, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 2814653400
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckalewCISD/
Instagram: @buckalewbears
Twitter: @buckalewbears
From Mrs. Price
Buckalew Families,
We had an amazing turnout for our Watch D.O.G.S. kick off last Thursday. We had over 300 Dads Of Great Students and their students in attendance! Thank you for those of you who RSVP'd and attended. We are excited to kick off our program this week during the school day.
We look forward to seeing all of you this Thursday for our Open House. This is a come and go event from 5:30-6:30 for students to share their work in their classrooms.
Our Buzz is full of information from our community, district, and school for your information and planning purposes.
Thank YOU for your support and for sharing your children with us. I hope you are doing your best to stay dry these next few days.
Mrs. Price
Community Presentations
SciTech 2024
Proclamation 2024 Information
Conroe ISD will review state adopted materials from publishers. Community members may preview the materials both in-person at the Conroe ISD Textbook Warehouse and online between December 4, 2023 - April 5, 2024. Community members will be able to leave feedback about each of the materials through a survey linked here during the preview window. Information about previewing the instructional materials up for adoption is online. If you would like more information or would like to review the materials in person, please fill out the Proclamation 2024 Materials Review Request located on the CISD Instructional Materials website.
Community Event
From Nurse Alison
Ilnesses
COLD AND FLU SEASON
We are seeing an increase in Strep, Flu, fevers and stomach viruses at school. If you think your child may be ill or getting ill, keep them home. We want to keep everyone well and the best way is to keep your child home when ill and handwashing.
CISD ILLNESS POLICY:
If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher, he or she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. In addition, students with diarrhea or vomiting must stay home until he/she is diarrhea and vomiting free without diarrhea or vomiting-suppressing medications for at least 24 hours.
Let's keep our Buckalew Bears Healthy!
Nurse Alison
Did You Move? Lease Renewed or Updated?
In the event you are moving or have recently moved, please email your new proof of residency document (i.e. a recent gas, water or electric bill / or your signed and dated lease or sales agreement) to legeorge@conroeisd.net. Please include the student's full name and homeroom teacher so his/her information can be updated. If the copy of your lease has expired that the school used to enroll you, please email your renewed or updated lease to the same email.
Thank you,
Lindy George
Buckalew After School Playdates
Save your child's after school playdate "date" now! More information will be coming through room moms and specific grade levels as grade level dates approach, but save the date now. The PDF below has live links to pay in advance for playdates for each grade level, so you can also RSVP now!
This year, money raised by these after school playdates, go directly back to each grade level teams to decide how to utilize this money for the growth of our students. That comes in many forms from technology, classroom books, treasure box prizes, instructional materials, and all the things your child's teachers typically invest their own money or wait until there are opportunities to fund certain needs. Each grade level uses these playdate funds differently, but your children have a BLAST with their buddies in a structured fun, after school setting with the entire grade level.
These are always very highly attended and we will be asking for your RSVP 3 days in advance for the teams planning purposes. You can start now and secure your RSVP by logging into your school cash account via schoolcashonline.com
Download Invite for Links
Download the Playdate Invitation here for each grade-specific link to schoolcashonline for your RSVP.
CISD Calendars Approved
Dates to Remember
Upcoming Events
**Please pay close attention to homeroom teacher newsletters for class-specific events.**
January
25- GT Parent Night for currently identified GT students 5pm (invitation to come)
25- Open House (come and go event K-4) 5:30-6:30
February
2- PTO Meeting in Library
8 - KG After School Playdate
9-16 Scholastic Book Fair
10- sci://tech exposition 10-4pm TWCP (see flyer below)
15- 3rd Grade After School Playdate
16 - Inclement Weather Day - NO SCHOOL
19 - Presidents Day - NO SCHOOL
March
1- PTO Meeting in Library
5 - Staff Development Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
8- Field Day
11 - 15 Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
21- Down Syndrome Awareness Day
29- 1 April Easter Break - NO SCHOOL
April
1st- School Holiday
5th- PTO Meeting in Library
6th- Save the Date for the Buckalew Bash Carnival!
16th- 4th Grade ELA STAAR Testing
17th- 3rd Grade ELA STAAR Testing
19th- STAFF Development Day- NO STUDENTS
23rd- 4th Grade Math STAAR Testing
24th- 3rd Grade Math STAAR Testing
MAY
3rd- PTO Meeting
23rd- KG Program/4th Grade Graduation
23rd- Student Early Release 12:10/Last Day of School
Bond 2023 Projects
Bond Projects coming to Buckalew:
Infrastructure
- Critical infrastructure like chillers, boilers, air handlers, generator, freezer/cooler, roof sections, & electrical service equipment
- All campuses will receive safety & technology infrastructure updates
Technology Devices
- All campuses will receive updates to their technology devices.
- proposed date to be complete: August 2025!
Specific updates on Bond Projects at Buckalew:
- land survey completed December 2023
- perimeter fencing currently being updated
- impact resistant film currently being installed on all exterior glass
Parent Lunch Reservations
Lunch Reservations
Go to Lunch Reservations and find the green 'Parent Lunch Reservation' button on our Home page. It will take you through to Signup Genius from there.
Click Here to be redirected to our Website
If anyone other than a parent or guardian comes in to have lunch with a student, the Front Office will need a note from the parent/guardian giving permission for that person to have lunch with that child. Please either send a note in the back pack to the Front Office on the day OR email contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net.
Smartwatch and Cell Phone Guidelines
CISD PreK-6th Grade Cell Phone and Smartwatch Guidelines
At the October 17, 2023 CISD School Board Meeting, the trustees approved the PreK-6th Grade Cellphone and Smartwatch policy. The policy approved states:
● Cell phones and smartwatches may be used respectfully and responsibly before school and after school.
● Cell phones and smartwatches should not be used to capture video, audio, or images at school or on the bus.
● Cell phones and smartwatches should be set on silent mode and kept in backpacks, lockers, or other designated storage areas and should not be visible during school hours including instructional time, reward time, free time, lunch, and in the hallways.
● Use of cell phones and smartwatches may be permitted in extenuating circumstances with permission from a staff member. (ex. to notify parent/ guardian of a late bus)
Currently Buckalew's Student Addendum states the following on Student Electronic Devices.
If a student brings an electronic device (cell phone, e-reader, smart watch, etc.) they bring them at their own risk. The school is not responsible for any damage, lost, or stolen electronic devices. The expectation is that electronic devices are powered off when students enter the building and stored in a backpack until they exit the building. Any communication between parent and student during the school day must go through the office or teacher.
Teachers will communicate with parents if there are times that personal electronic devices will be allowed to be used during classroom activities. Expectations for use will be communicated to students, and students will be monitored to ensure the devices are being used properly.
Students who do not comply with school procedures will have the device given to the assistant principal, who will contact the parent to discuss the concern and plans moving forward, and schedule a time for the device to be picked up. Please see CISD Student Handbook for further information on electronic devices.
From Specials
Music News
3RD GRADE PROGRAM
Attention 3rd Grade Parents!
Our 3rd Grade Program is coming up soon! Save the date for February 29th at 6:00 pm. More information will be coming soon, but in the meantime, if you are interested in volunteering to help make our stage and costumes beautiful, please mark your calendars for the Parent Volunteer Meeting on Wednesday, January 24th at 11:15 am in the Music room. Spread the word with any and all 3rd grade parents to come lighten the load and make the stage special for our kiddos. Please make sure you have completed the Volunteer Application this year before coming to the meeting:
Mrs. Ramirez
4th Grade Choir
If you are a current 4th grader NOT currently in choir, and want to join choir for the spring semester, please see below.
Library News
Book fair is just around the corner! The shopping days for our next book fair will be February 12, 13, 14 and 15. Students will shop that week during their library and art classes. Parents are always welcome to shop with their student during those times. We will post a shopping schedule the week before the book fair.
The classes that shopped the last day of book fair in September will be the first classes to shop at this fair which will be MONDAY, February the 12th!!!!
This book fair WILL HAVE posters, pencils, pens, "school supplies" etc. for sale. We set up on Feb. 9th so there WILL NOT be a preview week. Parents, please have a conversation with your student on purchasing expectations: 1 poster, 1 pen and the rest books etc. or books only.
If grandma or papa send $$ so your student can "buy anything they want" meaning all posters, erasers, journals and pencils, cool beans but a note or e-mail from you confirming this will save me time finding your phone number to call and confirm 😉 the notes from parents really do help, as we have parent volunteers helping the littles (kinder and first) find books. Letting us know "1 journal" etc. is appreciated.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns!
If you would like to be added to the library volunteer e-mail sign up genius, please contact Jenny Bardoux, our Library Volunteer Coordinator at msbardoux@gmail.com and she will add you to our list.
If your student has a lost or damaged book from last year it was added to School Cash Online in May and you received an e-mail letting you know you have an item to purchase. The expectation is those lost/damaged books are paid for BEFORE checking out books this year. Feel free to bounce back with any questions!
Library Book Notifications
Conroe ISD Library Services has enabled daily email notifications so you are informed of the items checked out by your student. Notifications for these daily messages can be managed in Parent Access Center (PAC). Please see instructions below to either enable or disable emails.
From Mrs. Points
Conroe Cares
I am self-aware.
I can manage myself.
I am aware of others.
I can build relationships with others.
I can make responsible decisions.
Buckalew's Pawsatively Awesome Character Focus
January Wisdom
February Kindness
March Forgiveness
April Perseverance
May Citizenship
CISD Guidance and Counselling Events
Save the Date: Community Presentations
Join us for our upcoming community presentation:
For the Sake of Our Youth: Parenting in a Tech-Obsessed World
Presented by Tessa Stuckey, LPC, Author, Parent
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
The Woodlands High School-LGI
611 Research Forest Dr.
The Woodlands, TX 77381
For the Sake of Our Youth: Parenting in a Tech-Obsessed World
Presented by Tessa Stuckey, LPC, Author, Parent
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
The Jett Center
19043 David Memorial Dr.
Shenandoah, TX 77385
Technology: Shaping the Brain for Better or Worse
Presented by Crystal Collier, PhD, LPC-S
Thursday, February 22, 2024
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Webinar: scan the QR to register
Buckalew Bears PTO Information
Get involved with the Buckalew Elementary PTO!
Please consider joining the Buckalew PTO! Memberships and yard signs are currently available for purchase on the Buckalew Spirit store at https://buckalewbearspto.com.
Upcoming Events
February PTO Meeting: Friday, February 2nd · 11:30 AM · Buckalew Library
PTO Updates
Thank you to all of our Buckalew family and friends who supported our Boosterthon Fun Run! Proceeds from the fundraiser support the PTO’s budget, which helps our school in many ways. PTO funds are used to pay for field trips, Dreambox, grade level instructional supplies, playgrounds, counseling resources, technology, campus morale, staff development, campus updates, teacher luncheons, and school beautification. As the fundraiser exceeded our goal, we are able to make a few additional purchases for Buckalew. At the December 1 PTO meeting, we approved the purchase of 4 new water bottle filling stations, solar eclipse viewing glasses for students to use this Spring, 2 new microwaves for the teacher’s lounge, and extra school supplies for teachers to use if their classroom supplies run low. Thank you for supporting the Buckalew PTO!
Yearbook Information
It’s time to purchase the 2023-2024 Buckalew yearbook! Yearbooks will be 10% off until September 30, 2023.
New this year
-Parents have the option of purchasing either a hard copy or soft copy of the yearbook. You will be asked to choose your cover option during checkout.
-Parents can create two FREE custom pages that will print only in their child’s yearbook. Custom pages do not need to be completed at time of purchase.
-During checkout, the option to purchase a yearbook to donate will be present. Please consider purchasing a donation yearbook if possible!
To lock in the 10% discount price, please follow the directions above to purchase your yearbook using this link: https://web.treering.com/create-account/1016910708713746?PassCode=1016910708713746
Please direct any and all questions to Kristen Stocker or Kate Herring at buckalewyearbook2023@gmail.com
Kroger Rewards and Boxtops
Volunteer with the P.T.O.!
If you are interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities, please email BuckalewPTOVolunteers@gmail.com and let us know that you would like to be included on our volunteer list. You can also sign up using the QR code below.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Parent Teacher Organization (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 the best education for all children
(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.
Please Sign Up to be a CISD Volunteer
Click the button below to complete the form. You will need your drivers license number;
Information For Ongoing Reference
Bring Your I.D
Birthday/ Holiday Treats and Celebrations
Cookies are preferred birthday treats and must be store bought due to allergy, safety and sanitation concerns. Treats are served in the cafeteria during the students' lunch time and should be brought to school before 11am. No balloons, candles or deliveries.
Please email your homeroom teacher to check if there are any specific classroom allergies at least 1 school day beforehand.
CISD Parent Access Registration/ Login
Parents will need to register for Parent Access Center (PAC) account if their student(s) are new to Conroe ISD. Students previously enrolled in CISD will have an active PAC account. You can view your childs grades and other important information regularly. Instruction son how to register are below.
If you have difficulty accessing the PAC, please call CISD head office on 936 709 7752 or email helpdesk@conroeisd.net.
Arriving to School after 8am
Students are considered absent if they arrive at school after 9am unless they have a note from a health care professional for an appointment on that day.
Buckalew Safety
Need to send a Note to the Front Office?
From The Attendance Office
Absences
When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (281-465-3410) or email buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net to explain the reason for their absence. To ensure the accuracy of your child's attendance records, please call, or email each day your child is absent.
Please remember that attendance is recorded at 9:00 a.m. each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 a.m. due to a doctor’s appointment, he/she will be counted present if you bring your child back to school on the same day with a doctor's statement that verifies the appointment.
If your child will be out for an extended period, please let us know.
School hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. and students will be counted tardy if they are not in their classroom at that time.
School Absences
State law requires that children miss no more than 10% (18 days) of the school year. Students that miss more than 18 days are subject to not be promoted to next grade level. The law goes on to state that it is the parent/guardian’s duty to monitor the student’s attendance and requires the student to attend school. It is important for students to remain in school until the close of each school day at 3:10 p.m. unless illness has caused a child to leave earlier.
Tardies
Instruction begins at 8:00 a.m. each day. Students that arrive at school between 8:01 a.m. and 8:59 a.m. are tardy.
Absences
State attendance is taken each day at 9:00 a.m. Students arriving after 9:00 a.m. will be marked absent for the day unless they have a signed note from a healthcare professional for an appointment that morning.
If your child is going to be absent, please contact the school attendance line at 281-465-3410 or send an email to buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net. Please state your child’s full name, grade, homeroom teacher, date or dates of absence, and reason for the absence.
Medical Appointment
If your child is arriving late or returning to school due to a medical appointment, please provide a health care provider’s note upon entering the school to ensure your student is not marked tardy or absent for the day. If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please do so no later than 2:30 p.m. The student will not be called from their classroom until you arrive at the school. Please plan accordingly.
Dismissal
We strive to dismiss all our students safely from our building. Please do not come to the Front Office at dismissal time to call your child from class. We cannot dismiss students directly from the classroom or in the hallway at dismissal time. Students will not be released after 2:30 p.m. from the Front Office.
If you are checking out your child prior to 2:30pm, please come into the Front Office and provide your identification. We will then call your child to meet you in the Front Office. Due to safety reasons, we cannot call your child to the Front Office unless you are here.
If you are checking your child out during specials or lunchtimes, please note that it may take a little longer to locate your child from their specials or lunch room and for us and them to get their back packs from their room. Please leave ample time for this if you have any appointments to attend.
Parents of Biker/Walkers - No Dogs!
We have an abundance of children and families who bike or walk to and from school. Many of your family members include your pets, joining you on your bike or walk to and from school. For your liability, and the safety of others, please refrain from bringing your dogs into the biker walker area beyond the posted signage. We have 2 signs in this area posted that should allow room for your dog, however, will prevent them from being in our most congested areas during arrival and dismissal. We have many children afraid of dogs, even though your dog may be friendly and well-mannered. We have also had dogs get into altercations with other dogs in front of this area and we kindly ask that if you choose to bring your dog, that they stay beyond the posted signs as you watch your child enter or exit our doors.
Thank you for your understanding.
Need A New Car Rider Sign?
Active Start and Breakfast
Breakfast is served in our cafeteria from 7:30-7:55 daily. See below for menu. See fees below for both breakfast and lunch.
Checking out your Child
If anyone other than a parent/ guardian checking out a student from our campus, we will need a note, sent in with your child, in their backpack on that day or an email to buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net. If we do not have a note from a parent/guardian, the Front Office will call to get permission for your child to leave our campus.
The Emergency Card completed at the beginning of the school year is for us to be able to contact someone in a situation where we cannot get hold of a parent/guardian. It is not permission for those emergency contacts to check out a child, any time.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to keep our students safe whilst on our campus.
Car Rider/ Dismissal Sign
For KG ONLY: We are requiring Kindergarten parents only at Biker Walker to carry this sign with them to pick up their child at the biker walker doors. With our growing enrollment and various staff members on duty, it adds an extra layer to make sure we are connecting the correct kindergarten student with their care giver.
Take a photo of the sign? We have had several people ask if they can use a photo of this Dismissal Sign on their phone. The answer is YES! Feel free to take a picture to keep on your phone in case of transportation changes or loss of the sign, or emergency instances with severe weather. Please know that the original sign is IDEAL, as it is designed for those calling dismissal to be able to read. On a cell phone, that will slow down the line.
Transportation
1. Bus rider (eligible if home is 1 mile or further from school) Bus routes are posted online on and you can check the link below in "what bus do I ride". You can also register your child for the bus by clicking the link below in the Buzz. You can also register for CISD SMART TAG
2. Car Rider Signs. The car rider line will be at the rear of the school and the bus line will be at the front of the school. ALL Parents should have received TWO car rider signs (yellow) at Meet the Teacher night. Please display the car rider sign in your front passenger window so our staff can read your card. See below to help you navigate our car rider line if you are new.
3. Day Care. Day care vehicles drop off and pick up students in the front of the school with the buses. If your child will not be riding the day care bus due to an early pick-up or transportation change, please notify the day care so they know your child will not be riding that day.
4. Biker/Walker. Kindergarten students must have a parent/guardian/designated adult present with the car rider sign at the Biker Walker doors (under the patio) at dismissal in order to walk or bike home. All other Biker Walkers will exit the school near the bike racks. All other biker/walkers are released at dismissal to ride or walk home independently.
On severe weather dismissal days, students will not walk or bike ride home. If your child is a biker/walker as your primary mode, then you will be a car rider on severe weather days. There is no rainy day dismissal.
Drop Table
We offer parents the courtesy of a drop table to deliver forgotten items, which is located in our Front Office. There are pens, paper and tape available for you to use to clearly identify items for your child to pick up. We will call the classrooms at 10am to inform all students of items on the drop table.
Please make sure lunches and birthday cookies are clearly labeled and brought into our school before 11:15am so that we can send them to the cafeteria on our lunch cart, for the allotted lunch times. We have limited staff available after this time.
We thank you for understanding.
Transportation Changes
To make transportation changes, please send a note in your child's backpack to the teacher OR email: buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net prior to 2pm with your childs full name, grade and homeroom teacher. Any changes submitted after 2pm will not be seen until the following school day.
Alternatively, please print the form to the Front Office below:-
Lunch Information
We are working with our students on understanding the lunch-buying process. It can be quite confusing for our elementary students. We are currently speaking with our students and explaining to them, if they bring a lunch, they should eat their lunch before going through the line and purchasing an additional lunch. As we try and navigate each student through the lunch line, every child has a different need, and we never want to deny students from going through the lunch line. We encourage you to communicate with your child your expectations in either: eating the lunch you are providing/packing; buying extra lunch only and going through the line one time; or explaining that if they go through the line a second time, their account is charged again. We also encourage you to check your child's account, by going to the link below and you can check and monitor your child's purchase history, and if necessary put a limit on the account by contacting our cafeteria directly.
Breakfast
Student Breakfast $2.00
Student Reduced Breakfast $.0
Non-Student Breakfast/ 2nd Student Breakfast $3.30
Lunch
Student Lunch $3.20
Student Reduced Lunch $.40
Non-student Lunch/ 2nd Student Lunch $4.60
Entree $3.00
Milk $1.15
Fruit/ Vegetable/ Grain $1.75
A La Carte
- Extra entrees, extra sides, chips, cookies, etc. are all charged a la carte prices and are not included in the meal.
- For example, if a student gets a meal of chicken smackers, mashed potatoes, and milk, but wants an extra portion of chicken smackers, the extra portion is not considered a part of the meal and will be charged an additional $3.00.
- If a parent wishes to restrict a la carte purchases, please contact the Child Nutrition Office.
You may prepay by using My School Bucks. You will find a link to this service, lunch menus, and other helpful information by clicking on the child nutrition resource button below. If you would like to put a cap on your child's spending on your lunch account, then please notify our cafeteria manager by calling 281-465-3467.
Water Bottles
Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker.
Lost and Found
A friendly reminder to please label all of your child's belongings with first name and last initial or last name. **Water bottles, lunch boxes, hats, and especially outerwear such as hoodies/jackets/sweaters are all great things to label as these items tend to pile up quickly in the Lost and Found, which is located right outside of the gym. We really hope to reunite these lost items with their owners before the break!
If you have any additional questions, please contact gabinkwon84@gmail.com