Buckalew Buzz
February 26, 2018
Buckalew Elementary School
Buckalew Bears Motto:
"Today I choose to Be Kind, Work Hard, and DO MY BEST!"
Email: donotreply@conroeisd.net
Website: www.buckalew.conroeisd.net
Location: 4909 Alden Bridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX, United States
Phone: 281-465-3400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuckalewCISD/#
Twitter: @buckalewbears
From the Principal...
Happy Monday!
It is in all seriousness that our staff and district express the same concerns that you as parents have about the safety of our children. Safety of our students has always been our first priority. Please know that we are constantly adjusting, discussing, and playing through "what - if" scenarios as a staff from solar eclipses to active shooters. Our campus is up for building security renovation this summer and CISD will be adding a vestibule in the front office and updating our surveillance system for even more layers of protection. More specific information from the district office is below in the Buzz.
As a campus, we continually assess our campus safety. Our front doors are now locked at all times during our school hours. The front door is the only way in and out that any visitor should enter or exit our building. We thank you for your understanding and patience in waiting to be "buzzed in" by our front office during school hours. We thank you for always carrying your identification with you when you enter the building so we can properly know exactly who is in our building during the day. We thank you for adding an additional level of safety by completing the Volunteer Application if you are attending classroom events or going beyond our front entrance. If you have not done so, the link in completing the Volunteer Application is below. We thank you for wearing your visitor badge at all times where it is visible even if you are a regular campus volunteer. We also thank you for understanding if we question your business or purpose in the building as we have always done.
Without traumatizing our children or creating a fear of school in our young children in elementary school, please know that they participate in regular emergency drills, including lock down drills. Beyond that, our staff are constantly troubleshooting through "what-if" scenarios and are carefully evaluating and adjusting what we can learn from each horrifying incident that has taken place.
We also take our student threats and inappropriate behavior seriously and it is documented. We take pride in our campus atmosphere and believe that ALL students must and should feel safe. A Bullying and Complaint form can be found on the CISD website in the event of a complaint, and/or we highly encourage you to please feel free to contact myself, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Captain, or your child's teacher in the event you have a student concern about safety. You can also help us by having a conversation with your child if you hear your children seriously, jokingly, or sarcastically make "threats" through words, drawings or play. Unfortunately in this time period, we do have to document and take these things seriously. We also want to protect our young children from their innocence in not completely understanding their words or actions in the bigger picture as we understand them and what is portrayed all over the news and social media.
This is such a heart-heavy topic that we must address for safety of our campus. We also want our kids to be kids and not bear this burden of worry. Thank you for all you do to support Buckalew and your child's education and school safety concerns. As always, I'm happy to meet with anyone should you wish to discuss this topic further. During our staff development day Monday and again this Wednesday, we are meeting to review safety procedures.
With that said, we have a fun-filled FIELD DAY to look forward to on March 9th and a student 1/2 day that day, with dismissal of 12:10. It is hard to believe with all of this weather, that SPRING BREAK is less than 2 weeks away March 12-16!
Thank you for all you do,
Mrs. Price
Buckalew Visitors and Volunteers
For the safety of ALL students, we ask that any person entering Buckalew be approved through the CISD volunteer website. This includes classroom events, parties, classroom readers, volunteers, lunch visitors, etc. In other words, if you are visiting a classroom and/or are around children, you must fill out the online CISD Volunteer Application. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete the application. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation for this added layer of protection.
Safety and Security From CISD...
Events such as the recent tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida cause us to reflect on our own schools and communities as well as review our plans and procedures in place to prevent or respond to such an event and to keep our students and staff as safe as possible. Conroe ISD is diligent in providing a safe learning environment every day. Over the past decade, the District has spent millions of dollars on a layered approach to campus safety including the installation of secure entrances and vestibules along with adding security cameras throughout our schools. Our campuses regularly review safety procedures, and periodically conduct safety drills which include lockdown drills. Conroe ISD is proud to have the third largest police department in Montgomery County whose mission is to protect the District’s students, employees, and properties. The Conroe ISD Police Department also regularly provides active shooter training to our officers as well as other local law enforcement agencies to better prepare our law enforcement community for an integrated response.
One of the most important safety measures we as a District and community can take is being vigilant and reporting any suspicious behaviors or issues of potential concern. We encourage the reporting of suspected dangers to the appropriate authorities. Individuals may make anonymous reports to Conroe ISD’s KidChat hotline at 1-888-KidChat (543-2428). The safety of students and staff is our highest priority.
For more directly from CISD, please visit:
Congratulations to our Destination Imagination Teams!
We want to specifically thank our coaches and volunteers: Mrs. Canlas, Mrs. Moschitto, Mrs. Calhoun, Mrs. Seely, Mrs. Frease, and Mrs. Behnke for your commitment to our students and teams!
Important School-Wide Dates:
Please see your teacher's communication for grade-level and class-specific events.
March:
3/2- PTO Meeting 9:30am
3/9- Field Day (students wear BLUE activity shirt)
3/9- Student 1/2 Day- 12:10 dismissal
3/12-3/16- SPRING BREAK
3/21- National Down Syndrome Day- Wear Mismatched Socks
3/24- BUCKALEW'S ANNUAL CARNIVAL
3/26-3/29- Pet Supply Drive
3/27- Report Cards sent home
3/29- Kona Ice at Lakeside Park After School
3/30- NO SCHOOL (Holiday)
April:
4/2- Autism Awareness-Wear Blue "light it up blue" to support Autism
4/6- PTO Meeting 9:30am
4/9-4/13- Closed Campus due to testing and makeups
4/10- STAAR Writing (4th Graders Only)
4/19- Book Fair Night
4/23- Mitchell Parent Orientation 6:30pm
4/26- Community Outreach Workshop Anxiety and Love and Logic- 6:30pm
4/27- Progress Reports sent home
4/27- Volunteer Luncheon
May
5/3- 2nd Grade Music Program 6pm
5/4- 9:30 PTO Meeting, Bistro
5/14-5/18- CLOSED CAMPUS due to testing
5/14- STAAR MATH (3rd and 4th Grade)
5/15- STAAR Reading (3rd and 4th Grade)
5/22- 4th Grade Choir Sings at TWHS Choir Festival
5/28- Holiday
5/31- Early Release 12:10/Last day of school
5/31- Kinder Program
5/31- 4th Grade Graduation
2016-17 Federal Report Card
Buckalew's Federal Report Card has been posted on our webpage.
- Go to buckalew.conroeisd.net
- Go to "Our School/Campus"
- Click “Campus Profile"
- Select “Accountability Reports”
- Click “2016-2017”
- Federal Report Card
2018-19 Kindergarten Round-Up April 2-6
Kindergarten registration for children who are 5 years old on or before September 1, 2018 will take place at Buckalew April 2-6. Please register your child as an incoming kindergartner during this time.
See the attached PDF for more details on required registration documents and registration process.
LIBRARY NEWS
Our inaugural MakerSpace stations were a huge success! Students were constructing mazes, paper airplanes, discovering how snap circuits work and building their own creations with IO blocks.
We'll be starting our second round of MakerSpace stations soon. Thanks to our successful book fairs in the past, we have been able to purchase lots of supplies for our MakerSpaces through Scholastic. There are a few items that we need to add to our supplies and we are seeking donations of the following: 9V batteries (used in our littleBits snap circuits), and puzzles: 60 to 100 piece puzzles.
I've so enjoyed watching your students create, make and grow - looking forward to a great second half of the school year!
Mrs. West
Keys to Success Awards
For the week of: February 20th:
Kinder: Emme Ha
1st Grade: Khadija Chandabhai
2nd Grade: Umair Shaikh
3rd Grade: Georgia Dorsett
4th Grade: Aabia Aamir
For the week of: February 26th:
Kinder: Ryder Molbert
1st Grade: Laura Cai
2nd Grade: Quinn Adkins
3rd Grade: Ava Gauthier
4th Grade: Campbell Frye
Mrs. Stobbe- Calling 2nd Grade Parent Volunteers
I will be hosting a parent meeting Wednesday, February 28, in the music room at 12:00 for parents who are interested in helping decorate the stage for our spring musical called, "A Better You, A Better Me." The more the merrier, so come join the crew! If you are unable to attend the meeting but would still like to volunteer with us please email jstobbe@conroeisd.net
Thank you for supporting your child's love of Music!
Mrs. Stobbe
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Mark your calendars for the 2018 Buckalew Bash!!
Our annual carnival is back and it is bigger and better than ever!
Saturday, March 24
3 - 6 PM
Buckalew’s backyard
We have multiplied the fun with more booths, more outdoor activities, a game truck, climbing wall, outdoor laser tag, and more! The always popular kid raffle returns along with unique staff experiences and our silent auction.
Admission is $5 per person
Wristband and raffle ticket sales begin February 26 at buckalewbearspto.org
Rain date: April 7
For those who ordered Field Day Shirts –
They will be in first week of March and delivered to your child’s classroom!
Car Safety-Lakeside Park
Parents, if you are dropping your kids off or picking them up from Lakeside Park please park your vehicle to do so. It becomes a safety issue to just drive up and let your kids out or have them get in without parking. Please use our car line in the back of Buckalew if you want just drop off your child.
ExxonMobil Grants
To all ExxonMobil Employees and Spouses that would like to participate in the volunteer grant program for Buckalew, please remember to complete the following: Complete the online application on the employee domain for ExxonMobil Foundation. Applications can be submitted anytime. Payouts to the school are made on a quarterly basis. Don’t forget to start recording your 2018 volunteer hours. You are able to submit your volunteer time after 20 hours. We greatly appreciate your contributions. Our Exxon grants have helped us fund so many things here at Buckalew over the years.
Lost and Found
Please check Lost and Found for any items you think your child may be missing. There are lots of jackets, sweaters, water bottles, bike helmets, etc. Lost and Found is located outside of the cafeteria/gym. If you are at the school, swing by and have a look. There may be something of your child’s that you did not even realize was missing. If you have any questions, please contact Kalyn McQuain at kalyn@mcquainagency.com
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PTO Financial Update
Buckalew PTO funds many things our school needs every year. Some of these annual needs include Think Through Math, Mathletics, Raz Kids, Brain Pop & Brain Pop Jr., Super Teacher Worksheets, iPads and iPad cabinets, field trips, author visits, and special grade level activities. These annual needs total approximately $50,000. Often, other needs come up for the PTO to fund, such as recent needs of replacing the refrigerator in the teacher's lounge, replacing all classroom projection equipment and replacing all classroom leveled reading book sets. Recently, district safety inspectors have found problems with some of the equipment on our two playgrounds. They have made some short term fixes and removed unsafe equipment. Ultimately, it was determined both playgrounds need to be replaced. Each playground costs approximately $75,000. The school district does not give the school any money to go towards the replacement of playground equipment. In order to meet these needs of our school, the PTO must raise $200,000.
With the amazing support of our community, we have been able to raise $110,000 so far! We replaced the K-2 playground in November. We continue to get closer to our huge goal of $200,000 with fundraisers throughout the year. Our Community Business Partners, T-Shirt Sales, Box Tops, Boosterthon Fun Run, Book Fair, Grade Level After School Playdates, Spirit Nights, the Fall Auction, and the 2017 Spring Carnival have gotten us this far. This Spring, we look forward to the Buckalew Bash Spring Carnival with Raffle and Silent Auction on March 24, 2018. The Buckalew 20th Anniversary is this year, and we will have a special engraved brick campaign to pave the area outside the biker/walker door. Details about this opportunity will be available in late spring. We hope to meet our goal of $200,000 this spring and install the second playground this summer! Buckalew is a great school, providing an exceptional experience for our children thanks to the support of our Buckalew Family! Thank you for making all of this possible!
2018-19 School Calendar
We appreciate your support of public education and the value of attendance. Because of YOU and our amazing staff, Buckalew continues to rank among the best in the state and we are very proud of that and want it to continue!
Give the Gift of a TAE "Teacher's Achieving Excellence"
Log Into "Parent Access" by clicking:
and click on the "Teachers/Staff Excellence" Tab.
Feel free to type your own message and send any staff a positive message!
TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
Parents just a reminder to send all transportation changes to school with your child in their backpack. E-mail changes are for emergency changes only and must be made before 2:00 p.m. Please note weather is not considered an emergency. For emergencies only, e-mail brobinson@conroeisd.net and make sure you get a confirmation that your change was received. Classroom teachers do not always check emails throughout the day or may even be absent and that request would not be received in time. If you have sent a note with your child it is not necessary to e-mail the note to the front office. Thank you.
Community Outreach Parent Workshops
April 26th 6:30-8pm Love and Logic and Anxiety
Kate Turner Licensed Professional Counselor
Buckalew Elementary School
A must attend for parents who wish to help their children with anxiety.
Buckalew PTO
Click to see what's going on in Buckalew's PTO!
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 for all children the best education
(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.
Yearbook
Parents, if you have photos that you would like to upload to be used in our Year Book from all Fall school events please do it now! We are submitting a first batch of pages to the publisher in just a few days! You can do so at replayit.com or via replayit app!
If you have any questions regarding your order contact Jenna Simpson at ysimpson@att.net.
Amazon Smile~ You shop. Amazon gives.
Select Buckalew Elementary School as your charity!
What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organizationHow do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.**********************************************
Safety Reminders from our Police Department:
- Please remember to remind your children NOT to cross until the crossing guards are at their posts in the morning. The building is not open until 7:30.
- Please remember if you are in your car, to wait for the crossing guards not only to cross the children, but for the crossing guards themselves to make it back to the sidewalk.
- Please remember to stay off your cell phones when driving in school zones.
- Please remember their are NO DOGS allowed on school property. This is for your personal liability and the safety of all of our students.
- Please remember there are no U-Turns in front of the school.
Parent Access Login
Canvas Login
Lunch Information:
A Full Price student meal is $2.85 and for a 2nd meal is $3.55. “Extras” range from $.50-$2.00.
Did you know you can put limits on your child’s account? You can limit your child to one complete lunch so your child is getting the complete lunch on the menu.
You can also limit your daily expenditures or snack choices or ala carte by calling our cafeteria at 281-465-3467.
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The Conroe Independent School District (District) as an equal opportunity educational provider and employer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment matters. The District is required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as Board policy not to discriminate in such a manner. For information about Title IX rights or Section 504/ADA rights, contact the Title IX Coordinator or the Section 504/ADA coordinator at 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, TX 77304; (936) 709-7752.