BearKat Chat
#BearkatBEST, #❤️ofaBearkat - October 2022
Our Vision: Educating the whole child: mind, body and spirit!
Mote's Note - A note from the Principal - Kyla Mote
September was a month full of learning and beginning of year testing. We now have collected lots of data to begin creating our small groups and modifying our lessons to meet the needs of each child. If your child is struggling or working below their expected grade level, you will hear from their teacher to set up a conference this month thru Nov. 8th. Our goal is to work as a team, with you, to see each student show at least one full year of growth by the end of the year.
For the month of October, we will be learning about integrity through our Bringing Out the Best district program. Please ask your Bearkat what they have learned about integrity throughout the month.
We love having dress up days at school but please always know participation is not required and only done for fun. October seems to be the heaviest month for these days. We just finished college and career week which we loved. October 14th is our school picture day (see below for info). Then we have a week of digital Citizenship dress up days coming that the district has designated for all schools to participate however we are having our campus wide pink out day on the 21st rather than our spirit wear (see below for info). We then have our student council created red ribbon week fun days and we end the month with our book character parade. Please make sure your student has a book that aligns with their costume that day and that all costumes remain dress code approved.
Thank you so much for the wonderful turn out to our PTO welcome breakfast. We can already tell this is going to be a fun filled year. Thank you also to all of those that sent sweet notes or treats to our staff on World Teacher Day! Their smiles were seen bigger than ever!
I would like to also recognize Mr. James Rowlett, a community partner for purchasing a swing that allows some of our students to get to swing for the first time. I would also like to thank Jonas Agency, LLC for sponsoring our PTO by becoming a "Bearkat Champion Level Sponsor".
We have exciting new things coming and some amazing, continued traditions as well. Please see the dates below.
Our Watchdog Dad signup night is this coming Tuesday. Please be sure to attend if you would like to volunteer in this capacity.
You may have noticed that PTO is planning a "Fun With My Son" event in early November. (They will have an event for daughters in February).
5th grade has a music concert later in Oct. and 4th grade has one coming in December. Parents and guests may attend these concerts. We also have our family bookfair night at our biggest bookfair ever on Oct. 18th. Please consider supporting our new librarian by coming out to purchase books that night. Rumor is that we might even pre-order opportunities for new books coming soon.
All of our students will be participating in our Veterans Day program in Nov. as well!
Veterans Day guests are limited to the Veterans themselves and one Veteran escort due to our safety, security, and parking. Please look for the registration for Veterans to come out soon.
Our family fun holiday night is also being planned for December 6th. Click here to sign up if you are interested in sharing your family heritage/culture at a booth/table that night.
We hope you have a wonderful month of October and that you are able to join us for some of these events coming soon.
Here are a few dates to save (updates/changes are in bold):
October 11 - WatchDog Pizza/Signup Night 6pm-7pm in the cafe
October 12 - Jeremiah's Italian Ice Night - (30% of all purchase come back to the school)
October 14 - Fall Picture Day
October 17-21 - Digital Citizenship Week (district designed dress up days) see flyer below.
October 18 - 5th Grade Music Performance & Family Bookfair Night
October 20 - Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night
October 21 - Kinder Field Trip-Oil Ranch
October 21 - Pink Out Day for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 24 - Student Holiday/Teacher Work Day
October 24-28 - Red Ribbon Week (Special Dress up days will be shared once Student Council decides on them)
October 25 - Spring Creek Barbeque Night (parent meeting cancelled - will be Nov. 1)
October 26 - Spirit Shop in the cafe
October 31 - Storybook Parade - All Students and Staff participate (will be on Facebook Live)
November 1 - General School Parent Information Meeting - topic TBD (open to all parents)
November 4 - Fire Drill
November 4 - Mother/Son Event
November 7 - Student Holiday
November 8 - Student Holiday/ Teacher work day (parent conference and professional development day)
November 9-15 - Student Council Food Drive
November 9 - Jeremiah's Italian Ice Night
November 11 - Veterans Day Celebration
November 14 - Wear Blue for Diabetes Awareness Day
November 14 - Juanita's Spirit Night
November 16 & 17 - KISS days in Cafe (kids invite someone special for lunch) info to come
November 16 - Mother Goose/Prek/Kinder
November 21-25 - Thanksgiving Break
November 28 - Epilepsy Awareness day- wear Purple
November 28 - Chick Fil A Spirit Night
November 29 - Kendra Scott Spirit Night
December 1 - Fire Drill
December 1 - Jersey Mikes Spirit Day - ALL DAY
December 6 - Bearkat Family Holiday Night
December 7 - Spirit Shop
December 8 - Picture retakes
December 13 - 4th Grade Music Performance and Jeremiah's Italian Ice Night
December 16 - Student Holiday Parties
December 19-January 2 - Winter Break
For more information regarding Black Elementary procedures, our schoolwide Student Handbook may be found here.
A few quick reminders:
When you drop off items on the cart outside, please be sure to label them and you may leave them there. Just ring the bell and let Mrs. Russell know you have left something on the cart. As soon as we are able we will move it to the teacher boxes for them to get to your student or to the teacher.
- Dropping off lunches
We have totetrays in the mall hall that are set up in case a lunch needs to be dropped off because it was left at home. Please be sure it is in a lunchbox and the box is labeled. We do not have runners to take it to the classroom so it will go in the totetray and the student will need to grab it on their way in to the lunch room. Teachers are aware that they should be looking to see if anything is in the totetray. Dropping off fast food treats is not advised as many people walk by the tote trays and the paper bags are not generally sealed well. Also please do not bring drinks from the fast food as they may spill. Fast food fun lunches are better if delivered with you Monday-Thursday when you have lunch with your student. Reminder: you may only eat with your own student when you come for lunch.
- Hiker/Bikers
Parents, we have had some concerns voiced about the golf carts being driven reckless and even some by students before and afterschool. Please practice safe driving during this time as our students are also on foot and bicycles sharing the streets.
We have also had some concerns about cars picking up students that don't live in the walking distance homes. Please remember that Hiker/Bikers should be residents of Rock Creek and/or Valencia only.
-Transportation changes
Transportation changes need to be brought to the school before 3:30pm as the end of the day it is very difficult to make changes quickly and we do not have extra staff to run for students. Emergency cases are the exception. Please remember to send a handwritten/signed note with your student in the morning, fax the hand signed note to us or come in and write a note when you are picking up. When you send the note in the morning we try to have the student ready and waiting for you in the office. It may take a few minutes for us to get the student(s) if you walk in without a note but we will try our best. We are not able to accept emails so please either send it with the student, fax it or come in yourself to sign them out.
-Visitors during the day
As a safety precaution we are asking that each person identify themselves and why they are needing to come in the school before entering. If there are multiple people coming it at once, please only come through the doors one at a time. Thank you for understanding.
Our Holiday Night Info
Memories of the cultural family share part last year. Click here to sign up for this year.
The district is offering ESL classes for parents. If you are interested please see below.
NURSE NOTES
• Our Bearkat Clinic is in desperate need of athletic type shorts and pants size 6-6x and up for both girls and boys. Please consider donating to the clinic before dropping your student’s old clothes off at a donation spot.
• Hearing and Vision Screening is officially under way! Please keep a look out for referrals from the clinic beginning in October.
• Strep, Covid, and Flu…OH MY! The season is upon us, so keep a watch on your kiddos. Encourage proper hand washing and healthy practices at home and out and about. Symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, persistent coughing or sore throat should be taken seriously. Also, if your student has a fever over 100.0 he/she will need to be kept home until fever free without medication for 24 hours. We greatly appreciate your help in keeping our students healthy!
COUNSELOR CORNER - From our Counselors - Laura Hernandez and Karen Rhymes
ATTENDANCE REMINDERS FROM THE REGISTRAR
Remember to send an excuse note anytime your student is absent.
- Calling in a student absence or emailing the teacher/nurse does not excuse the absence – only a submitted care provider or parent note to the attendance secretary excuses the absence.
- A note from the care provider to the attendance secretary will only excuse the day(s) listed - If your student is out for longer, an additional note from the parent is required to excuse the extra days.
- If your student is sent home by the nurse - a note from a parent is still required to excuse the time your student missed school.
- Absence notes must include:
- student’s full name, date(s)
- dates of absence
- reason for absence
- parent/legal guardian signature
Lenny's Tails:
Wow! We have been in school for 7 weeks. It has been so much fun getting to see the students again. Being back in school is so much different from when we were at home over the summer. Summer was fun. I got to go swimming and spend time with my family. However, school time is definitely what I prefer. My favorite part of being in school is all of the belly rubs and love that I get. I do get love at home, but here at school when one gets tired or has something to do there is a line waiting to pet me. I have already made some friends that take me to play at times to get my energy out. I have also been able to hang out in the majority of the classrooms as everyone learns.
I hear that there are a lot of events coming up soon, and I cannot wait to see what those are about. Watchdog, holiday festivities, mother/son gathering, dad/daughter time. I hope that I am allowed to attend these.
I am about to go take my hour nap. Please check out my Twitter @BearkatLenny
I do want to thank my sponsors again for making this life possible.
Black PTO, Pet SuperMarket on Grant, Cy-Fair Veterinary Hospital on Louetta, and James Rowlett with Houston Home Team Reality.
Love,
Lenny
Telecommunication Letter (link)
BLACK PTO
Presidents Corner
Thank you to all of our volunteers that have volunteered for a position in our PTO!
A big thank you to our PTO Board members for the many hours you are spending assisting our volunteers and fulfilling Board responsibilities.
Our school year is off to a great start! Thanks to everyone for your support. Our PTO could not do what we do for our students and staff without your hard work.
Kim Elliott
PTO President
From the Secretary
Stay tuned for important calendar dates as we work through obtaining everything needed to keep you informed.
From Membership
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE IS COMING!
Be sure to join our awesome PTO and your student will win a bubble gum day!!
The teacher with 15 registered students will win a prize! Be on the lookout for more details coming soon. In the meantime, click to join today for $5 and while you’re at it you can pay your required party fees! HTTP://blackpto.membershiptoolkit.com
From Fundraising
Thank you so much to all our teachers, parents and volunteers who work so hard to make Black Elementary a success.
Be on the lookout for some fun new fundraising options this fall. PTO is still in need of a minor fundraising chair! If you are interested in this position please email president@blackpto.net.
Save the date for Spirit Shop on Wednesday, October 14. Students will be able to shop during lunches in the cafeteria. We will have a few new spooky items added to our October Spirit Shop, as well as spirit water bottles for $6 & spirit Pura Vida bracelets for $6.
We always need volunteers to assist on Spirit Shop days, so please reach out to Elena at spiritshop@blackpto.net.
Save the date for a Night of Fun geared towards Bearkat mothers and sons on Friday, November 4 from 6-8 p.m. Be on the lookout for more information to come soon!
From the Cultural Arts Team
Bearkat Birthday Wall
Calling all BearKat’s birthday!
Are you wanting the school to recognize your BearKat’s birthday? For just $5 dollars you can
have your BearKat’s picture displayed on the fabulous birthday wall, (located in the main hall
during their birthday month). The form can be found in the PTO packet that was sent home
with your child(ren). If you have any questions or need a form, please feel free to reach out to
Mercedes Chesnutt at culturalarts@blackpto.net
5th Grade Nature Trails
We need volunteers for 5th Grade Nature Trails on January 30th & 31st. Nature Trails is an off campus field trip to participate in environmental activities. All volunteers must attend one of the following dates to be trained. October 17th or November 14th from 1230-2pm. Training takes place at 13500 Shaft Dr. Cypress, TX 77429 behind Millsap Elementary. The Science Resource Center asks that you not bring small children and wear appropriate clothing for walking in the woods. If you have any questions, please reach out to Meredith Ermis at naturetrails5@blackpto.net
3rd Grade Nature Trails
Third grade nature trails will be on January 30th &; 31st . Volunteers will be assisting teachers with lessons at 6 stations throughout the trail as well as walking students from one station to the next. Training dates for volunteers will be October 17 th or November 14th . To volunteer or for more information contact JoyMikel at naturetrails3@blackpto.net.
From the VIPS Team
Thank you to the large number of parents that attended the VIPS Volunteer Breakfast Fiesta on September 28th! We had a great turn out and really appreciate your desire to be involved at BlackElementary as a volunteer. If you signed up for a volunteer position, you will be contacted soon for more information. If you have any questions regarding volunteering, please e-mail Jessica Mauro at vips1@blackpto.net or Amy Wurdeman at vips2@blackpto.net.
Our Top Bearkat Volunteer of the Month is Elena Velasquez with 19.37hours! She will get to use the convenient Reserved Parking Space at the front of the school. Elena is our Spirit Shop Committee Chair and serves in many other volunteer positions at Black Elementary as well! Thank you to all of our volunteers dedicating your extra time at the school! **Don’t forget to log your hours on the PTO webpage: https://blackpto.membershiptoolkit.com
Please mark your calendars for the following events:
HRCs/Grade Liaisons/Committee Chairs Meeting – Wednesday, October 12 at 9:00 am in the cafeteria - **Please note that you must be a current paid member of the PTO to serve as committee chairs.
PENDING Open Chair Positions – We still need a Fifth Grade Liaison and a Minor Fundraising Chair.
Third & Fifth Grade Nature Trails Training – Volunteers will be needed to assist teachers with lessons at 6 different stations throughout the trail as well as walking students from one station to the next at the Nature Trails Field Trips for 3rd & 5th Grades.
Monday, October 17th
● Third Grade Training - (10:00 - 11:30 a.m.)
● Fifth Grade Training– (12:30 – 2:00 p.m.)
Monday, November 14 th
● Third Grade Training - (10:00 - 11:30 a.m.)
● Fifth Grade Training – (12:30 – 2:00 p.m.)
Fifth Grade Paws – Paws will be painted soon so have your student look for their special paw print with their name when they are outside for recess.
Fifth Grade Day – Committees are being formed to help with this fun event for the Fifth Grade Class. It is going to be AWESOME so don’t miss out on helping! Look for volunteer opportunities to be announced soon. **Please note that all parents attending 5 th Grade Day MUST volunteer at least 2 hours in the planning/preparation process in order to attend. (Meetings do not count)
Planning Meetings are scheduled as follows:
Thursday, 10/20 at 6:00 pm (cafeteria) – (Bilingual)
Friday, 10/21 at 9:00 am (cafeteria)
Friday, 10/28 at 6:00 pm (Virtual option via Zoom)
Safety Information
District Childfind
Childfind services
The Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District Special Education Department provides educational services to over 10,000 students with special needs.
Teachers, instructional aides, speech pathologists and related service personnel provide instruction and related services to students who have a disability. Students are eligible for special education services from the age of 3 through 21. Students who have hearing and vision disabilities may receive services from birth.
To be eligible for special education services, students must meet eligibility requirements as a student with an orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, auditory impairment, visual impairment, diagnosis of deaf/blind, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, learning disability, speech impairment, multiple disabilities, autism, non-categorical early childhood, or traumatic brain injury.
Cypress Fairbanks ISD instructional arrangements for elementary school-aged students include in-class support, resource classes and speech/language therapy. Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE, formerly PPCD), adaptive behavior, and LIFE Skills classes are offered as cluster services at the elementary level.
In-class support, resource classes, LIFE Skills, adaptive behavior and speech/language services are available at all secondary level campuses.
Related services may include psychological services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, orientation and mobility training, school health services, adaptive equipment and special transportation.
Other special education service options include the Dorothy Carlton Center, the Maybelline Carpenter Center, homebound, adaptive physical education, itinerant and on-site services to the visually impaired.
As part of the Northwest Harris County Cooperative for the Hearing Impaired, services for students who have auditory impairments are offered at Birkes Elementary, Matzke Elementary, Spillane Middle School and Cy-Ridge High School. In addition to receiving instruction at the on-site campuses, students may be served by itinerant teachers, speech pathologists, and/or an audiologist at their home campus.
Are you the parent of a pre-school (3-5 years) or school aged child and have concerns regarding your child’s physical, speech, and/or emotional development? Is your child experiencing academic problems which could interfere significantly with educational success? If so, contact the Special Education Department at 281-897-6400 to discuss your concerns and learn more about the referral process.
Tipline @ Black Elementary
Cy-Fair Tipline is an anonymous reporting system that allows students and parents to communicate school concerns or threats to their campus administration through the Internet or via text messaging. Students and parents are able to submit reports/tips via text or email anonymously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access the system: http://www.safe2helptips.com/cf148s. This link is also located on the school website under 'Contact Us'.
School Messenger
School Messenger
School Messanger -
Siga los siguientes pasos para registrarse y recibir alertas de emergencia del distrito.
OTHER FLYERS AND INFO
Thank you to the following corporate sponsors that support our school.
Black Elementary Info
Email: black@cfisd.net
Website: black.cfisd.net
Location: 14155 Grant Road, Cypress, TX, USA
Phone: 281-320-7145