
Buckalew Buzz
November 6, 2023
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 Family,
Tomorrow is Election Day, and there is No School for students. Please make sure you VOTE tomorrow, if you were unable to participate in early voting. If Buckalew is your polling location, please know our voting will take place in the portable nearest the front office in our back parking lot from 7am-7pm.
Our $40,000 fall fundraising goal is well underway and we hope to provide our students with Kona Ice!!! Currently, over 58% of our fundraising efforts are coming from grandparents, relatives, family friends, colleagues and businesses! Way to go! Keep sharing! We are still looking for donations from Kansas, Maine, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Vermont to meet our 50 state challenge!! Thank you for your support!
We are so excited for our Boosterthon RUN this Friday! Please know we are watching the weather closely, but our children look forward to this day every year whether indoors or outdoors. We have a Sunny Schedule and Rainy/Muddy Field Schedule below. In either case, if you plan to attend to watch your child run, you will need a visitor badge. You can pick up your visitor badge from the front office THIS Wednesday and Thursday in advance from 7:30-3:45 and avoid lines of Friday. Whether we are indoors or outdoors, your visitor badge is required. Please RSVP by clicking HERE to have your badge ready so you will not need to wait in any line! If we are outdoors, you will need your badge on our lower fields. If we are indoors, we will convert our gym/cafeteria into a GLOW RUN!!
Thank YOU for your support and for sharing your children with us.
Mrs. Price
Conroe ISD Bond 2023 Information
Reminder: There is no school tomorrow, November 7, as it is Election Day and many schools are polling locations. Approximately 9% of registered voters participated in early voting. If you have not voted and need information about Bond 2023, visit conroeisd.net/bond. Be a voter and let your voice be heard!
Prop A includes funds for land for some of the schools in Bond 2023 and future schools, transportation, and technology infrastructure. Transportation funds will be used to buy buses and make transportation department improvements. Technology infrastructure funds will be used to update and replace aging components that maintain speed, reliability, and security of the network. Get more information about Bond 2023 at conroeisd.net/bond. Early voting starts Monday, October 23!
Prop A in Bond 2023 includes 8 new schools. Conroe ISD schools are collectively at 104% capacity with some campuses exceeding 150% of capacity. The largest project in Prop A is a new high school for the Conroe area to relieve Conroe and Caney Creek High Schools. Conroe High School’s enrollment is over 5,000 students and projected to exceed 6,000 students in three years.
New Schools in Prop A are as follows:
- The Woodlands Feeder Elementary (opens 2025)
- 242 Corridor Elementary (opens 2025)
- Grand Oaks 7-8, 9th Grade Campus (opens 2026)
- Grand Oaks Feeder Elementary (opens 2026)
- Conroe Area High School (opens 2027)
- Caney Creek 9th Grade Campus (opens 2027)
- Conroe Area Junior High (opens 2027)
- Conroe Area Intermediate (opens 2027)
Prop A also includes additions to 3 campuses. They are as follows:
- McCullough Junior High (500 seats)
- Hailey Elementary (100 seats)
- Ford Elementary (100 seats)
To learn more about these and other items in Prop A, please visit [www.conroeisd.net/bond]www.conroeisd.net/bond.
The Woodlands Feeder Projects- Conroe ISD Bond 2023 Flyer Below (PDF)
Special Education Parent Newsletter
From the Attendance Office
Progress Reports for Grades 2 - 4:
Your child’s marking period 2 progress report may be viewed in Parent Access on Friday, November 10. Paper copies of the progress reports will not be generated and sent home.
If you have not signed up for a Parent Access account, please visit the Buckalew home page and click on Parent Access tab at the top of the page. Then click on ‘Register’ in the blue box at the bottom of the page and follow the attached Parent Access Registration Instructions. If you have any problems, you may call or email our Technology Help Desk. 936-709-7658, help@conroeisd.net
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)
A committee of campus representatives will determine how to best implement the policy, share the plan with staff members, students and parents. Basically, the district policy is no different than the Buckalew policy. We will work on an implementation plan over the next couple of weeks.
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.
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.
Upcoming Events
**Please pay close attention to homeroom teacher newsletters for class-specific events.**
November
7- Staff Development Day/No School
9-4th Grade Music Program
10--Boosterthon Run
13-17- Generation Texas Week
13- Wear Green/Gold
14- Dress to represent your dream career
15 wear camouflage, army green, or red, white, and blue
16- wear crazy socks and/ or slipper (with tennis shoes for PE)
17- Wear a college t-shirt or school colors of favorite college
15 - Marcos Spirit Day/ Night.
20-24- Thanksgiving Break/No School
30- 4th Grade After School Playdate
December
1- PTO Meeting
7-1st Grade After School Playdate
7- Choir Concert
14- 2nd Grade After School Playdate
15- End of 2nd Quarter/Early Release 12:10
Dec16-Jan 2- Winter Break
1st Grade Pizza Party Competition with Marcos Pizza!
.
GT NOMINATIONS FOR 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR – Nominations are Due Friday, December 15
The window is now open for parent nominations for GT Screening and will continue through December 15. Parents may nominate their student for Spring GT Testing by completing the District Nomination Form, available through any 3rd or 4th grade teacher, or by asking Nikki in the front office. If you would like a PDF copy of the form emailed to you, contact Mrs. Smith tonsmith@conroeisd.net. All second grade students will participate in the CogAT assessment in October. The CogAT assessment will serve as a GT screener for second grade students. Parents may now nominate one time per level of test. In other words, students may test once each school year to see if they meet district requirements and /or qualify in other subject areas. GT testing will be held at Buckalew during the school day the weeks of January 22 – 26 and January 29 - February 2. Nomination forms may be returned to your student’s 3rd and 4th grade teacher OR to Nikki in the front office. ALL NOMINATION forms are due NO LATER THAN December 15!
- 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.
- From Nurse. Alison -
CISD Illness Policy
Now that we are back to school students are sharing germs. Just a reminder about CISD's 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.
Thanks for helping to keep our Buckalew Bears healthy!
Nurse Alison
- From Specials -
Music News
4th Grade program
Attention 4th Grade families! Please save the date for the 4th Grade Folk Dancing Night, our 4th grade program this year, on November 9th at 5:45 pm and 6:30 pm. Please see Friday Folders for more information!
Can’t wait!
Mrs. Ramirez
Keepsake 4th Grade Program T-shirts
Special Program T-shirts will be sold to commemorate the 4th grade program! They are a wonderful way to remember this performance with your student's classmates. The front of the t-shirt will have a picture in the theme of the program and the back with be the same theme with ALL 4th grade students' names listed. T-shirts must be pre-ordered and will be available for pick up the night of the performance, so don't wait! They will be $20 each and can be paid for online with School Cash. I hope you will join in purchasing a t-shirt to remember this special occasion!
To order a t-shirt, please order online through School Cash by October 20th. You can log in to your School Cash account and find the order page there. If you do not have a School Cash account, please use the link below to set one up. In order to receive a shirt by the evening of the program, this deadline is firm! Thanks for understanding!
https://conroeisd.schoolcashonline.com/
Mrs. Ramirez
Library News
A big thank you to our seasoned library volunteers filling in where needed these first few weeks!
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 enabled daily email notifications, so you are informed of the items checked out by your student. Daily emails will list the item(s) currently checked out. If the book(s) your student selected is not a good fit, please have your student return it to the campus library and choose a new title. If you have questions about the book(s), please contact the school librarian. Notifications for these daily messages can be managed in Parent Access Center (PAC). If you don’t have a PAC account, you will need to register for one to access the email settings. You can also view the item(s) your student checked out by logging in to Destiny Discover through your student's SSO account. You can further manage your student’s access to library materials by completing the Library Access Form found on the Library Services website along with viewing other helpful information. Please do not reply to this email as it comes from an unmonitored email account.
- From Mrs. Points -
Lunch Bunch
New lunch bunch groups for students will begin meeting the week of November 13th. Each group meets once a week for five weeks during students' lunch period. The deadline to sign up for a group is Monday, November 6th or when registration is full. For more information or to sign your child up for a group, please fill out the link below:
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
November Gratitude
December Caring
January Wisdom
February Kindness
March Forgiveness
April Perseverance
May Citizenship
- 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.
PTO Open Positions
Do you want to volunteer with the PTO? We have a few openings on our board and would love to get you involved! These roles are great options for a new volunteer. If you are interested in these roles or would like more details, please email President@BuckalewBearsPTO.com. Please see the descriptions below.
Volunteer Coordinator: This role mainly consists of sending out PTO Sign-up-Geniuses when volunteers are needed.
4th Grade and 2nd Grade Photographer: Photographers take pictures of school events for the yearbook. If interested, you can help create yearbook pages as well.
Upcoming Events
December PTO Meeting: Friday, December 1 · 11:30 AM · Buckalew Library
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.
Moving ?
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