RJ Richey School News
RJR Bulldog Family Newsletter
Important School Dates & Events to Remember
September Dates to Remember:
- Monday, Sept. 5: School Holiday / Labor Day
- Tuesday, Sept. 6: Student School Holiday / Staff Professional Development Day
- Week of Sept. 7th-9th: HOMECOMING week
- Week of Monday Sept. 12-Friday Sept. 16th: BOOK Fair Open @ RJ!
- Monday, Sept. 12: GRANDs for breakfast & books @ 7:25-8:30 (grand parents welcome)
- Tuesday, Sept. 13: RJR Parent Night & Fall Open House
- Week of Sept. 19-23: Start with Hello Week (themed dress days)
- Monday, Sept. 26: Student School Holiday / Staff Professional Development Day
- September 29: Report Cards for 1st 6weeks post
- Sept. 30: National Custodial Appreciation Day
October Dates to Remember:
- October 5: World Teachers' Day!
- October 10: Staff Development Day - no school for students
- October 14: First Responder's Game Day - wear Red, White & Blue
- October 17: Progress Reports Post
- October 21: PINK OUT Game Day (for Breast Cancer Awareness)
- Week of October 24-28: Red Ribbon Week (theme days)
- October 28: Black Out Game Day (Senior '23 Celebration Day)
- October 31st: Staff Professional Work Day - no school for students
Bulldog Homecoming! Go DAWGS!
It's a "GRAND" Breakfast & Book Fair
RJ's BookFair is Almost Here!
Shop late with us on Tuesday, September 13th during our Parent Night & Fall Open House from 5:30-6:30 too!
Book Fair Hours are:
Monday 7:25am -4:00pm
Tuesday 7:25am -4:00pm & 5:30-6:30PM
Wednesday 7:25am -4:00pm
Thursday 7:25am - 4:00pm
Friday 7:25am - 12:00pm
Start with Hello Week @ RJR
Join us as we team together across BCISD to "Start with Hello"
Start With Hello Week - September 19th-23rd
Monday(19th): Pajama Day
"Relax you are enough"
Tuesday(20th): Western Day
"Say howdy in the hallway"
Wednesday (21st): Mix Match/Wacky&Tacky Day
"Mix it up and make new friend"
Thursday(22nd): Decade Day
"Friendships are timeless"
Friday(23rd): Outer Space
"Be a friend that is out of this world"
R.J. Richey School Updates and Information
Helping our teachers SHINE bright!
Want to show appreciation AND recognize an RJ Teacher or Staff?
Send a "Way to SHINE" Shoutout:
Have you been inspired by someone in our school?
Do you have a teacher who has made a difference in your life or the life of your child?
Did you witness a staff member doing something extraordinary?
We want to hear about it!
Send us a Way To GO Gram with a few details, and we'll share it!
Way to SHINE Shoutouts will be printed and delivered to staff members on a monthly basis. We know we have some outstanding people working in our school and appreciate your role in helping us recognize them!
Submit a Way To Go Gram by clicking the button below:
Attendance @ School Matters! RJ's Mission to Make EVERY school day count!
RJ Parents, We need your help to improve attendance at RJ this year!
We recognize that good attendance is a mixture of diligence AND luck! Running into illness isn't something that can be planned or predicted, especially with COVID in existence. At the same time, good attendance doesn't happen by chance either! Commitment on the family's side is ALWAYS involved when a student maintains good attendance.
Because research states that students learn best when they are at school, we are making a special effort to educate parents and recognize students with responsible attendance.
What does our (BCISD's) data say?
In the 2021-2022 school year, RJ Richey had many students who exceeded the 10% absence rate which qualifies them as "Chronically Absent." This means that almost 20% of RJ Richey Elementary students missed more than 18 days of school!
Based on STAAR testing results from 2022, Chronically Absent elementary students averaged over 7.14% lower than the district average on state assessments AND our RJ students that were chronically absent consistently underperformed compared to students that had acceptable attendance throughout the year.
Making every school day count means that our students that are regularly in attendance outperform other students not just at the local level but also across the state!
We MUST do better when absences are avoidable!
State Attendance Parameters for Parents:
- The state requires students to attend school for at least 90% of the days the class is offered. This part of the law is commonly referred to as "the 90% rule". The average school year is 180 days. So, your child can only miss 18 days of school before the 90% rule impacts his/her credit. Take special note that excused and unexcused absences count toward the total number of absences in regards to the 90% rule.
- The state also tells us that children must attend school unless there is a valid excuse explaining the student's absence. If your child is out for a doctor's appointment or an illness, be sure to send a note so that the absence can be excused.
BCISD & RJ Richey use automatically generated attendance letters that are sent home periodically after absences to help parents stay informed and avoid any surprises!
- Should you need to sign-your student out early during the day, please have your ID.
- All parents/guardians will be asked to sign your student out as we are required to track student attendance and parts of day out of school. We will be able to code and excuse your child's early checkout with a doctor's note returned the next day.
- Excessive check-out earlies do affect student attendance and can accumulate for days missed from school.
Behind the Scenes @ RJ! Bulldogs Shining Bright & Learning BIG!
Reading & Writing Together Across Grade-Levels!
Math in Action & Math Journals
Science & Social Studies too!
Work Samples with high quality Bulldog effort & Work!
Important Parent Reminders & Quick Links
Morning Arrival & Drop-Off Information
Morning Arrival:
- School doors open @ 7:25AM each school day.
- The instructional school day begins each day @ 7:50AM and our tardy bell rings @ 7:55AM.
- Breakfast is available for students each morning in our Bulldog cafe from 7:25a.m.-7:55a.m.
- For the safety of ALL Bulldogs, there is no parent walk-up or parking lot drop-offs. All morning car-riders should be dropped off using the car-rider lanes.
Morning Car Riders:
RJ Richey has only one drop off area for morning car riders through the front circle. Students may not be dropped off in the rear parking lot or in the front parking lot area as the bus and drop-off traffic presents a safety concern.
- ALL students arriving by car must be dropped off utilizing the front drive of the school no earlier than 7:25am. Please do NOT use the parkinglot to drop students off or walk-up to drop students during the times of 7:25-7:50AM to avoid the car rider line. This is not a safe practice for students, parents, or staff.
- Students should remain in the vehicle until 7:25am as there is no adult supervision prior to this time. Thank you in advance for helping us to keep all children safe.
- RJ Staff will be helping to assist morning traffic, helping students out of the car, and welcoming our Bulldogs to school every morning. Car riders should be dropped off in the carline with an RJ staff member and not in a parkinglot.
- Once your child has exited the car with the help and assistance of an RJ staff member along our covered walkway, we ask ALL cars to exit using the 2nd lane so that the remaining car riders can be dropped off along our sidewalk with staff members. Please use the merge lane after dropping off in the mornings.
Changing your child's transportation
Do you need to change your child's mode of transportation? Here's how!
Please go to https://www.burnetcisd.net/ , click on the Departments tab, then Transportation. In the upper right hand corner there is a link to change your child's method of transportation. This request must be made by 1:30pm. Please make sure you have included the the name of your child's teacher and only submit on the day you need the change made.
Daily Transportation Changes:
As a reminder, we are not able to change your child's transportation for the day through the front office or by emailing the school. However, if you need to change your child's way home, please complete the transportation request here:
BCISD Food Service & School Cafeteria Info
Important Parent and Visitor Reminders
RJR Lunch Visitor Information:
- All lunch visitors MUST check-in through the front office and receive a visitor's badge. Please have your photo ID available and wear your printed visitor badge where it is visible for all staff. Any visitor NOT wearing a badge sticker will be asked to check-in at the front office.
- Lunch visitors MUST be listed in Student Skyward access. Visitors coming for lunch with our Bulldogs must be listed in Skyward as a family member or contact to be allowed to eat with a student.
- Unfortunately, we can not invite students' friends to eat lunch with visitors as well for this reason. Any outside lunch brought to enjoy with your Bulldog may not be shared with other students at anytime due to state nutrition guidelines and requirements.
- Lunch visitors must sit at designated tables in our Top Dawg cafe area or in our dogpound outdoor tables with their students during lunch time. Unfortunately, there is not room for visitors to join our students at our class cafeteria tables.
- Due to supply issues, any lunch visitor must provide their own lunch. Visitor meals can not be purchased through our cafeteria at this time.
Contact Us at RJ Richey Elementary
Website: https://rjr.burnetcisd.net/
Location: R J Richey Elementary School, East Graves Street, Burnet, TX, USA
Phone: 512-756-2609
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjrichey