GALATAS GAZETTE
October 7, 2022
Contact Information
Denae Wilker, Principal
Candace Mathis, Assistant Principal
Lyndsey Christopher, Counselor
Through the collaborative efforts of all who pass through our door, we provide a safe learning community that develops lifelong learners and responsible citizens.
Website: http://galatas.conroeisd.net/
Location: 9001 Cochrans Crossing Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 936-709-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalatasCISD/
Twitter: @GalatasCISD
Lunch Visitors During the Weeks of October 11-14 and 17-21
We thank you for your understanding, and invite you to visit the Book Fair with your children before and after school the week of October 17-21.
Yearbooks on Sale Now...Early Bird Discount!
Yearbooks are on sale, and early bird pricing ends on November 18!
Purchase your yearbook now at
Top Dog Yearbook Shout Outs!
•Applaud your 4th grader’s achievements with a tribute in the Yearbook! You can purchase an ad for only $20 when you order your yearbook or separately.
• To purchase: go to the link above, click on Order Now, enter your student's information, then select TOP DOG SHOUT OUT. You will be able to design your own ad and submit it online!
For any questions, please e-mail galatasyearbook@gmail.com.
YEARBOOK COVER CONTEST!
Students will have a chance to help us create the cover of this year’s Galatas yearbook!
The theme this year will be "BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION"! Help us celebrate Galatas' 30th birthday by submitting your best artwork today!
Guidelines:
• Entries should be original student artwork, and may be done with marker, pastels, paint, watercolors, etc…
• Maximum size should be 8.5”X11” and must be a portrait (vertical) layout.
• Artwork should feature a Greyhound!
• No need to include our school name or the year...those will be printed on the yearbook by the publisher.
• All submissions must be received by Wednesday, November 2.
Initial submissions will be collected electronically - we will select one winner from each grade to be featured on the inside, as well as an overall design winner for the cover. We will then make arrangements to collect the original artwork from the selected students.
Please email a photo of your students' artwork to galatasyearbook@gmail.com, and include their name and section number in the email (images will be judged anonymously by grade level).
Community Outreach Opportunities
Coats for Kids Drive
During last year's Coats for Kids Drive, 700 coats, jackets, and hoodies were collected and distributed to campuses in need!
Montgomery County Food Bank Food Drive
Please bring food donations to the bins on the front and back porches.
Reading Week: October 17-21
Reading Week Schedule
Bedtime Story Night
Children's Book Drive
Online Book Fair is Live!
This year, we are pleased to announce that the Book Fair will be kicking off this week with an online companion Book Fair! Please visit the link below for more information and to shop the fair. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Michalsky at dmichalsky@conroeisd.net.
Orders purchased online will be added to our book fair earnings and ship at the end of book fair week. Please allow approximately 10 business days for orders to arrive at your school.
Reading Fair Project
Students can create a project based on a book they choose to read. They may create a display on a 22x28 inch poster board (no trifold boards) that includes literary elements and visuals. This project is voluntary and will be due no later than October 13th, to be displayed during Reading Week (October 17th-21st). Students can submit their project for a chance to win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place prizes, which will be chosen by a small panel of judges for each grade level.
Projects should be able to be carried into school by the student.
Please review the guidelines in the document below with your student, and register at the link located in the document, if they are interested in participating.
Please contact galatasvpprograms@gmail.com with any questions.
Book Fair & Reading Week Help Wanted!
Your help is needed for Reading Week! Please check out the opportunities at the links below.
Book Fair
Volunteers needed to man cash registers, restock, and assist students. Literati (our Book Fair company) is offering a 20% discount to Book Fair Volunteers.
Reading Week
Looking for volunteers to support Reading Week events.
Get Involved at Galatas
ExxonMobil Grant Program
Please sign up here and you will be contacted by the ExxonMobil Coordinator with further details.
Business Owners: The PTO Needs You!
Do you have a business you'd like to advertise with Galatas families?
Your business can support Galatas Elementary School by becoming a Corporate Partner. There are new events this year that you can sponsor, as well as purchasing an advertisement in our 2022-2023 Digital Student Directory. The Galatas PTO appreciates all our sponsors!
Please contact Katie Leicht at galatasvppartnerships@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you for your support of our amazing elementary school!
Galatas Yard Signs for Sale!
CISD Update
Student Report Cards
Thursday, October 6 marks the end of our 1st Grading Period and report cards will be released the week of October 17. Did you know that our 2nd-4th Grade Progress Reports and Report Cards are not printed and are only shared through the district's Parent Access Center?
Parent Access Center is a free program available to all CISD parent/ guardians that allows viewing of helpful information regarding student attendance, report cards, progress reports, daily grades, state test results, Students Achieving Excellence (SAE), discipline and available lunch money. Parents may also sign up to receive an email alert when an assignment score is inputted or updated.
To create an account, please visit https://www.conroeisd.net/parents/. You will need your student's Student ID number to create the account. If you do not have your student's Student ID number, please email your child's teacher.
Lost and Found
Please check the Galatas PTO Facebook page for pictures of unlabeled items that have been left in the Lost and Found. The post and pictures should be up by October 13.
If an unlabeled item belongs to your child, please comment on the picture with your child's name and section number, and the item will be brought to the classroom.
Items not claimed by Friday, October 21, will be donated to Interfaith.
Gifted & Talented Nominations Now Open
The window is now open for parent nominations for the Spring, 2023 Gifted and Talented screening.
Parents may nominate their 3rd and/or 4th grade student by completing the District GT Nomination packet, available by contacting our Assistant Principal, Candace Mathis, at cdmathis@conroeisd.net. It is strongly encouraged that parents consult with their child’s teacher(s) prior to nominating their child. If your child has already qualified for Gifted and Talented services in some content areas but not all, you must nominate them again if you would like for them to try to qualify in additional areas. Students must take the full battery of tests as specific subject areas cannot be isolated for testing purposes.
Parents of 2nd grade students: Please do not nominate your 2nd grade child at this time! All second grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment in late October which will serve as a GT screener for second grade students. More information to come at a later date.
Parents may nominate their Kindergarten and/or 1st grade student but it is highly advised that parents consult with their child’s teacher prior to nominating their child as tests can be frustrating for younger students due to the amount of time involved in testing.
Spring GT testing will take place at Galatas Elementary during the school day, on dates yet to be determined in late January/early February, 2023.
All completed nomination packets must be returned to Candace Mathis on or before December 13, 2022.
CISD is Hiring Teacher Aids
Conroe ISD is now hiring Teacher Aides on campuses across the district. If you are interested in a rewarding career and making a difference in the lives of students, Click Here.
COMING SOON!
TWCPHS Cheer Clinic
TWHS RED & GREEN HOMECOMING PARADE
Community Presentation
TWHS Theater Improv Camp
CISD Dyslexia Parent Information Night
Calling All Creative Writers!
The Greyhound Gab is our school’s quarterly literary publication. Students can submit an original creative writing piece to the issue associated with the first letter of their last name. If your last name begins with A, B, C or D and you would like to contribute to the November issue of the Greyhound Gab, please submit your piece to Christina Benavides at galatasnewsletter@gmail.com no later than Friday, November 11, 2022. Submissions should be labeled with student’s first name, last name initial, and section number. Publication date will be Friday, November 18, 2022. (See table below for future issue dates and when you can contribute.)
Examples of creative writing types/topics (no puzzles please):
· Book review
· Teacher/staff interview
· Original poetry
· School event report (ex. First Day of School, Reading Week, Book Fair, etc.)
While submissions should be student work, there may be a need for parent edits. The pieces do not need to be long; the purpose of the Gab is for our Greyhounds to be creative and see their work published!
-INFORMATION FOR ONGOING REFERENCE-
Parent Information Sheet
Galatas Student Handbook Addendum
CISD Child Nutrition Information
Reporting Student Absences and Attendance Information
When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (936-709-5014), the front office (936-709-5000), or email Robin Curtis (rcurtis@conroeisd.net) before 9:00 AM 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.
Attendance is recorded at 9:00 AM each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 AM 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 by emailing Robin Curtis at the email above.
Transportation Changes
Please use the Transportation Change forms any time a student needs to go home in a different way from the permanent designated mode of transportation. If you need a notepad, please let your child's teacher know and we will send one home.
All transportation changes must be received in writing by 2:00 p.m. We are unable to accept a phone call. You may send a written note to your child’s teacher (place it in your student's PAWS folder), or fill out a form in the front office. Please include the date, your child’s full name, section number, bus number (if applicable), and your signature.
If an emergency arises, you may send an email to galatastransportation@conroeisd.net . The e-mail must include all of the above information, including a parent signature, and must be received before 2:00 p.m. If you submit a transportation change by email, it must go to the email address referenced above; transportation changes should not be emailed directly to the teacher.
Please send a new note for each day the change occurs; we cannot accept notes for multiple days or with multiple changes. District policy states that a student may only ride the bus they are registered to ride.
Join the PTO and Support our Greyhounds
Please support our school by joining our amazing PTO. The link below will take you to the Galatas PTO website, where you can join the PTO and explore ways to get involved at Galatas.
It is a great way to get connected with our Galatas community and other parents.
Lunch Visitor Information
Lunch visitors are invited to enjoy our outdoor dining area (weather permitting). On rainy or other inclement weather days, we will have seating available in the Activity Room.
** Please consider limiting lunch visits to once or twice per month for each student, so that all parents have an opportunity to visit for lunch.
**Please limit the number of visitors to no more than four.
**A driver's license or government issued photo i.d. is required for adults each time they visit Galatas. We are unable to accept a photo of an i.d. Please allow time (about 5 minutes) to complete the required check-in at the front office prior to your child's lunchtime.
**We want to ensure the safety and security of everyone as they enjoy time together. If a grandparent, family member, or adult other than the parent of the student wants to visit your child during lunch, the parent must send in written permission to the front office. The note will only need to be sent in once, and at that time a notation will be made in the visitor system so that the school will have a record of the permission being granted. If a note is not sent, we will call a parent to grant permission before the visitor is allowed to join a student for lunch.
Lunchtime is limited to 25 minutes. A staff member will be monitoring the door, and will assist your child in returning to the cafeteria to join their class. Then, please head back to the front office to return your visitor sticker.
Kindergarten 11:30 AM-11:55 AM
1st Grade 11:15 AM-11:40 AM
2nd Grade 12:00 PM-12:25 PM
3rd Grade 12:25 PM-12:50 PM
4th Grade 11:50 AM-12:15 PM
Please be mindful that the next grade level parents are also excited to visit their children for lunch. We require parents to exit promptly at the designated time, to allow the next group to have lunch together.
Campus Visitors
All visitors must be able to provide a government issued, photo I.D. at each visit. Photos of the I.D. will not be accepted. Visitors will check in at the front office and receive a Visitor Badge which must be worn at all times in the building. When leaving the building, visitors must check out with the front office and return the badge.
Galatas Volunteers
In order to volunteer at school, a Volunteer in CISD Application must be completed.
Please visit volunteer-in-cisd to complete the process.
Drop-off Procedures for Forgotten Items
Please help your student be fully prepared for their day by ensuring that they have all needed materials (backpack, lunch, water bottle, etc...) before leaving for school in the morning.
To minimize interruptions to classrooms, please limit drop-offs to the following items:
- Water bottles and lunches may be placed on the Drop-off table before 10:00 a.m. at the front office. These items should be labeled with your child’s name and section number to ensure proper delivery. Items are taken at 10:00 a.m. to a drop-off table at the end of each hallway, so please email the teacher to let them know that you have dropped off the water bottle or lunch.
- If you need eye glasses delivered to your child, please do not put them on the drop-off table. Bring them to the office staff for immediate delivery to your child.
- Any class work or homework that is dropped off will be placed in the teacher’s mailbox to be picked up during the day.
Delivery of flowers, balloons, etc. to students at school are not permitted.
Water Bottles
A Message from the School Nurse
Please keep your child home if they are showing any signs of illness or reporting that they do not feel well.
For example, if your child comes to you in the morning and reports any of the following symptoms: cough, sore throat, stomachache, or headache, or tells you they had diarrhea or vomiting, DO NOT send them to school. Please keep your student home and monitor the symptom or symptoms until they resolve.
Medication at school: If your child needs medications while at school, please email the nurse at kriggs@conroeisd.net to schedule a drop-off time. Students may not bring medication to school; all medication must be checked in with the School Nurse by a parent or guardian.
Prescription medications must be in the original prescription container and unexpired. Scheduled prescription medications must have a specific scheduled time on the prescription label, not a time range, and be in the original prescription bottle. Over the counter medications must be age specific and have directions on the manufacturer's label for your student's age.
All students who require an Action Plan must have a new and up to date form completed by the physician for the 2022-2023 school year.
Extra change of clothes: Please include a change of clothing in each student’s backpack in case of a spill, fall in the mud, or restroom accident. The nurse has a very limited supply of extra clothes and will try to find something suitable for the student to wear, but having their own set of clothes will save time and help the student be more comfortable.
If you have questions about COVID-19, please refer to the District's informational web page here.
Thank you,
Katy Riggs, RN
Celebrate Teacher & Staff Excellence!
- Log in to Parent Access.
- Click on communication.
- Choose Teacher/Staff Excellence from the drop down menu.
- Select the employee to receive recognition from the drop down menu.
- Click create TAE.
- Click any of the pre-populated choices that apply.
- Type any additional comments in the Additional Comment box.
- Click the box labeled Create Teachers Achieving Excellence button.
Parking Lot Request
If all the visitor spots are full, we ask that you please park at either Cattail Park, the row of spots closest to Galatas in the Community Baptist Church, or the closest end spots at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. These two churches have graciously offered these spots to us as our Galatas Family grows.
Thank you for your help with parking!
Student Early Check-Out
If you know that you will need to check-out your child during the school day, please let their teacher know so that they can help your child gather their belongings and prepare for an early departure.
As a reminder, to ensure the safety of all students at dismissal, the latest a student can be checked out of school is 2:45 p.m.
Safety Reminder: no pets on campus
With the exception of service animals, dogs and other pets are not allowed on school grounds, including at the top of the hill during arrival and dismissal.
This is for the health and safety of our students and staff members.
School Zone Safety Tips
In addition, cell phone use in a school zone is prohibited. As you enter areas around schools, please end your calls and put your phone away.
The CISD Police and Montgomery County Sheriff's Department patrol our school zones to ensure everyone's safety, and will issue citations if necessary.
Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe!
School Dismissal Safety Notes
--Only cross at crosswalks! Our crossing guards and staff are here to keep everyone safe and ensure that families cross intersections in an efficient manner.
--Please do not park behind staff cars in the school parking lot. Please park in a parking space, as blocking cars could cause a safety concern in case of an emergency.
--Please be considerate of our neighbors at Hayden's Run and Wyndspire South. Please keep the sight lines at the entrance clear for entering and exiting vehicles.
--Please be considerate of our neighbors at South Silvershire Circle. Please do not park on the grass or lawn of the homes. Take care not to block driveways and leave enough room for residents to easily drive in their neighborhood at all times.
2022-2023 CISD School Calendar
Upcoming Events
October
7 No School: Student Holiday
10 No School: Holiday
11 PTO Meeting-10:00 a.m.
14 Kinder and 4th Grade Group Pictures 8:15 a.m.
17-21 Book Fair
18 Bedtime Story Night
21 Storybook Parade-8:30 a.m.
25-29 Red Ribbon Week
31 Science Day
November
3 Individual Picture Retakes
8 No School: Staff Development
10 3rd Grade Program: 6:30 p.m.
11 Galatas Family Movie Night: 6:30 p.m.
14-18 Generation Texas Week
15 PTO Meeting- 10:00 AM
18 Galatas Fun Run
21-25 No School: Thanksgiving Break
December
5-9 Hour of Code
9 4th Grade Choir Program- 8:30 a.m.
13 Holiday Party: 2nd grade (10:30 a.m.)
13 PTO Board Meeting-10:00 a.m.
13 Holiday Party- 2nd 12:30 p.m.
14 Holiday Parties- Kinder (9:30 a.m.) & 1st (1:30 p.m.)
15 Holiday Round Robin–3rd (9:30 a.m.)
15 Holiday Party/Service Project- 4th (9:10 a.m.)
16 Polar Express Day (Students wear p.j.’s)
16 Early Release Day, End of Nine Weeks– 12:10 p.m.
December 19-January 3 Winter Break
January
4 Classes Resume