Principal's Bulletin
Week 1: August 23-27, 2021
A Note from Mrs. Zagala--First Day Letter
Dear Jerry D. Allen Elementary Families,
Welcome back to what will be another exciting school year. Despite the current circumstances, I hope that you had a restful and enjoyable summer vacation. The staff of Allen Elementary has been working hard and preparing for our students’ return to school. We are honored to serve, support, and work with you as we continue to relentlessly provide our students an outstanding and rigorous educational experience.
As we enter this new school year I realize that there are many uncertainties and questions that you may have. I would like to assure you that your child’s health and safety continues to be my number one priority as principal. Recently the NISD Board of Trustees voted to implement a temporary facemask mandate for all students, staff, and visitors while indoors at district facilities and on school buses. This mandate goes into effect Monday, August 23rd. We will also continue to implement safety guidelines on our campus that include frequent cleaning and sanitizing, social distancing when possible and the use of plexiglass when appropriate.
Although the safety and health of our students is in the forefront of all of our minds, our school mission is to cultivate strong roots so that our students can soar to new heights. We realize that the pandemic has impacted the academic progress of our students in all areas, and our teachers have been working through the summer months to develop plans of support for our learners. Our campus will focus our efforts in closing gaps in both reading and math.
To support our goals in math, we are excited to have had the opportunity of hiring a second math specialist. With two specialists we will be able to support more students and teachers. We are also very excited to continue the implementation of Guided Math. Guided Math provides teachers the opportunities to meet student needs through differentiated instruction. In the area of reading we will continue to implement “Success For All” (SFA) Reading in PK-5. This is an outstanding curriculum which allows for the structured teaching of reading, social and emotional development, cooperative learning and the teaching at the right level of each student to meet them at their individual needs. As part of Professional Learning Communities (PLC) teachers will collaborate with each other to plan for meaningful and engaging lessons and to monitor student progress.
We will also continue to support the whole child by providing daily Social Emotional Lessons through our daily morning meetings. Our guidance counselors provide meaningful lessons for all grade levels and are also available to meet with students in small groups and one on one as needed. Students in K-5 are able to enrich their school experience by attending Discovery Classes in the areas of Physical Education, Art, Music and STEM. These classes provide students with exciting learning experiences. All students in grades PK-5 also have the opportunity of visiting the library regularly. Students are not only able to check out books but also able to strengthen their love for reading by sampling new literary genres and different authors.
We also are proud to be able to offer support to our families though our Family and Community Liaison Specialist. Our liaison works with families to secure resources to help their children be more successful in school. Each parent is asked to complete the Family Engagement survey that can be found on our campus newsletter. The responses to this survey helps our liaison to plan for learning opportunities for our parents.
To assist you in understanding our instructional programs, we will have a PTA Parent Orientation and Back to School Bash on Thursday, September 9th from 5:30-7:00 PM. I strongly encourage you to attend this very important meeting so that you may become involved in assisting your child(ren) with their education.
The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time for all. Expectations for excellence are a goal for each student, parent, and teacher. These expectations can become reality with a unified effort of cooperation between the school and the home. We want our students to enjoy the adventure of learning. With a positive attitude, support from home, and exemplary teaching and learning in school, your child's school year will be both rewarding and interesting. We also encourage you to unite with us in advocating for our students by joining and being active in the PTA. I am looking forward to meeting and working closely with each of you. We want this school year to be the best year of your child’s elementary schooling!
YOU MUST BELIEVE TO ACHIEVE,
Erika Zagala
Principal
First Day of School
On the first day of school, parents may walk their children to class. Effective Day 2 parents are not permitted past the cafeteria. We ask all parents that visit the cafeteria to stop by the front office to obtain a visitors pass first. Visitors will need to present their state issued ID in order to get a pass. We thank you for helping us keep our students safe.
*All students, staff and parents must wear their face masks.*
Face Masks Required
Effective Monday, August 23rd, Face Masks are required for all staff, students, and campus visitors. Thank you for your help keeping our students and staff safe and healthy.
Parent Volunteer Orientation
*Parents joining us for the Orientation will need to obtain a visitors pass from the front office. Please bring a valid Drivers License or State Identification card to get your pass.
So that we can better plan and prepare for the Parent Volunteer Orientation please complete the RSVP found in the link below.
Parent & Family Engagement Survey
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. This information will assist your child’s school and Northside ISD’s Family Engagement Program in creating services to respond to your needs. Please complete this survey by September 24, 2021. Please reflect on the 2020-2021 school year for most of your responses. Some may require your input based on your existing family/personal needs. Thank you for your time and valuable input. We appreciate your support.
School Service Opportunities
Each year, our district seeks parent volunteers for several unique roles. As a parent, your perspective and input provide helpful insight that assists Northside in making child-centered and family-friendly decisions. Listed in the form below are some unique areas of service with a brief description. If you would be interested in serving in any of these roles, please check your area of interest and complete the information on the form. This information will be maintained for this school year only and referenced should we need a parent volunteer for this service.
Allen Staff Is Ready To Rock The School Year!
Meet The Teacher Night
STAY CONNECTED: Four Easy Ways to Stay Informed
Receive important messages and reminders from Allen ES by push message on your phone. Simply download the NISD Mobile App and select which schools you would like to receive notifications from. Follow us on Twitter @NISDAllenES, join our school on Class Dojo and ensure that your email address is up to date in the office.
Erika L.M. Zagala, Principal
Email: allen@nisd.net
Phone: 210-397-0800
Twitter: @NISDAllenES