Panther Post
September 3rd - September 9th
Hello Lopez Families,
Welcome to the Panther Post, our weekly informational email. This is where you find all of our important upcoming dates such as games and concerts, or any other special events. We will also attach fliers and forms further down the page. I try to not get too wordy, or people will stop reading and miss the good stuff. So to make it easier, especially since this is longer than normal, I will organize my part with headings so you can jump down to what pertains to you if you are in a hurry. But...I really encourage you to read it all and see all the great things our kids here at Lopez do on a daily basis.
Mandatory forms coming home Tuesday, September 5th
There will be more forms coming home that we have to have you sign and return. Please ask for them. They are due back to the student's 7th period teacher by Friday, September 8th.
Checking student grades
Please log into the Parent Portal (there is a link on NEISD.net). Take advantage of the notification feature to alert you at whatever parameters you want to set up.
High school football ticket sales
We now sell high school football tickets here on campus with Mrs. Galbo in the assistant principal's office. They are $3 here but $8 at the stadium. Cash only please.
Hurricane Harvey relief efforts
We had so many kids wanting to help out in some way with relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey. Mrs. Volz got a group of kids together and the kids came up with two ways we could all help. They want to provide card and board games for kids who have been displaced and possibly are living in shelters right now. The other way they wanted to help was to provide food for the displaced pets. Our kids are so sweet. You will see them at the parent pickup/dropoff line taking collections and there is a place in the front office as well.
No backpacks in classrooms
Students are not allowed to bring their backpacks into the classrooms. There is just simply not enough room under the desks or in the aisles. We want the teachers to be able to move around assisting and facilitating as opposed to just standing in the front and lecturing. Also, I have noticed a lot of students with little metal shelves in their lockers. These are really neat, but I have seen them be the reason some of their binders do not fit in there, along with all the other stuff they bring. So if they say they can't fit it all in there, first see if that could be a problem.
Messy lunchroom
I think we are doing a little better cleaning up after ourselves in the cafeteria compared to last year, but....it could be a lot better. All we ask is for them to put their trash into the trash can and trays on the rack when they are done. Please help us in that effort.
Safety walking home
If you haven't already, please talk to your kids about safely crossing roads if they walk to and from school. They must use the crosswalks. We have a crossing guard at the Hardy Oak light, but we do not have people to cover the other intersections they might encounter. I want to thank the dads that have signed up for crosswalk duty. We call these guys Panther Pops and they will be starting next week. If you see them, give them a wave for volunteering to help keep your kids safe. If you are interested in joining, please email me.
This year's big fundraiser
Each year, schools put on a big fundraiser usually selling cookie dough and tumblers. From feedback given, the community is cookie doughed out! I get it. We have something different that we want to try this year. First though I want to say a little about what the money is used for. Any money we spend from fundraising goes to benefitting the kids. In other words, it will not be used to buy a coffee machine in the teachers' lounge, etc. It will be used to purchase another bike rack on the lower side of the school. It will also be used to purchase technology for the students, cover celebrations for the students, the microwaves in the cafeteria for student use, and a host of other things. A lot of our ideas come from the kids themselves.
So this year we are going to do a Panther Challenge. It is a competition of games where the grade levels compete for points. There will be smaller challenges throughout the year for things like dressing up for Red Ribbon week where the grade levels get more points for greater participation. Then on a day in February, the kids compete in a lot of games out on the field. These are not just athletic type games, but include things like bottle flipping, etc. The money comes from buying a Panther Challenge game shirt, donations and sponsoring the event with different levels to include company logos or family names on the shirt or banner. I want this to be a great fundraiser without the high overhead cost of paying a fundraising company to do all the work. Those companies provide a great service but I would like to try it ourselves this year. I hope it works out! We will need plenty of parent volunteers in February though to make it work. So please be on the lookout for further information.
Please make sure you scroll down this newsletter to look at the upcoming dates as well as fliers that might pertain to you, such as the library events going on. Thank you so much for all of your continued support. I love working with your kids!!!
Sincerely,
Mr. Wernli
Upcoming Important Dates
Mon Sep 4 - Teacher/Student Holiday
Thu Sep 7
All day - PALS TRAINING - Piper Bass
9:30am – 10:30am - PTA Executive Board Meeting - PTA Room A206
4:30pm – 8:00pm - 7th Grade Volleyball vs. Wood MS @ Wood MS
4:30pm – 8:00pm - 8th Grade Volleyball vs. Wood MS @ Lopez Gym 1
Fri Sep 8
3:30pm – 4:00pm - Academic UIL Information Meeting - Library
5:00pm – 10:30pm - Band - Reagan Football Game - Blossom Athletic Center
Sat Sep 9
8:00am – 3:00pm - Panther Picnic/Scrimmage - Cafeteria, Field, Gym
9:00am – 3:00pm - 8th Grade A/B Team Volleyball Tournament @ Littleton Gym
9/12 Back to School Night/Open House starting at 6:30
From the Library
The Lopez Library is thrilled to be hosting bestselling author, Adam Gidwitz on Thursday, September 28. He is the author of A Tale Dark and Grimm, In A Glass Grimmly and The Grimm Conclusion, as well as The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be A Jedi? and The Inquisitor's Tale. Check out his website at www.adamgidwitz.com.
Books may be purchased in advance. Please complete the order form above and return to Mrs. Jenke in the library by Wednesday, September 13. You may pick up order forms in the library if you do not have a printer at home.
Please check out the Yeah, Write! event as well: https://www.smore.com/68jmy and see the fliers below.
Thank you,
Mrs. Jenke
Club News
Energy Club
For those that might miss Tuesday afternoon, there will be another meeting Thursday morning on Sept. 7th from 7:45 - 8:05.