GALATAS GAZETTE

Denae Wilker, Principal

Candace Mathis, Assistant Principal

Lyndsey Christopher, Counselor

Through the collaborative efforts of all who pass through our door, we provide a safe learning community that develops lifelong learners and responsible citizens.

Website: http://galatas.conroeisd.net/

Location: 9001 Cochrans Crossing Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381

Phone: 936-709-5000

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalatasCISD/

Twitter: @GalatasCISD

We are so excited that Galatas Field Days are Thursday and Friday, March 9 & 10!

On these days, our Specials and Lunch schedules look a little different, and our students eat lunch in their classrooms. Since space in the classrooms is limited, we will not be able to accommodate lunch visitors on these days.

We need your help to make Field Day a success! Please sign up at the link below.

Field Day is coming up soon for our Greyhounds!

March 9: Kindergarten (1:00 PM), First and Second Grades (8:30 AM)

March 10: Third and Fourth Grades (8:30 AM)

No experience necessary: the directions on how to play the station will be located on the back of each station sign. Please arrive with enough time to locate your station (a map will be located in the front office and in the gym) and read the directions on how to play before students arrive at 8:30am. Please also make note that if you are volunteering, you will be at that station for the duration of field day.

A CISD volunteer application MUST be completed in order to volunteer for Field Day. Here's the link: CISD Volunteer . Thanks!

Planning is underway for our 2023 Springetti event!

Springetti is the annual carnival-style family event hosted by the PTO. The event will be held on Friday, March 31, from 5-8 p.m., at Galatas Elementary. Bring the whole family to enjoy food, entertainment, silent auction, raffles, and more! **Tickets are on sale NOW!**

This year it will truly be a blast from the past as we celebrate the 90's to honor Galatas' 30th Anniversary! The money that is raised from Springetti funds technology, testing, tutoring, and instructional materials for Galatas. Thanks for your support!

IMPORTANT SPRINGETTI DATES TO REMEMBER:

• March 24: Ticket sales close!
• March 27-30: Springetti Online Auction (more information to come)!

To purchase tickets and find out more about Springetti, visit our website below.

New Springetti Event Sponsorship Opportunities! Advertise your business and make a difference at our school at the same time. For more information, please visit the Springetti link above!

Now is the time to show your children how you represented the 90’s!

Please send in a photo of yourself in the 90’s. It will be placed on the wall during Springetti for your child to see how cool you were in the 90’s! Please send the photo to galataspto@gmail.com by March 21.

In March, there are several days of required testing that will take place in the Activity Room.

In the event of inclement weather, we will not be able to accommodate lunch visitors on the following days: March 6, 7, 21, 22, 23, and 27.

Outdoor dining will be available as usual on those days, if weather permits.

Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.

On Thursday, March 23, students will have class pictures and individual Spring pictures taken.

CLASS PICTURE ORDER FORM:

A link to the order form for the class picture will be available next week. Class picture orders must be placed before Picture Day, Thursday, March 23.

INDIVIDUAL SPRING PICTURES:

No pre-purchase necessary for individual pictures...proofs will be available to view and order at a later date.

There will be no retakes for these pictures.

The Nomination Committee has been selected to solicit Galatas Parents Teacher Organization (PTO) Executive Board candidates to fill the following offices for the 2023-2024 school year:

• President
• First Vice President (Programs and Educational Enrichment)
• Second Vice President (Fundraising)
• Third Vice President (Membership)
• Fourth Vice President (Corporate Partnerships)
• Secretary
• Assistant Treasurer

Please send your suggestions or nominations to our Nominating Committee Chair, Courtney Landry, at c.landry6609@gmail.com by Monday, April 3, 2023. Self-nominations are welcome!

Officers begin serving their terms on July 1, 2023. Any PTO member may submit nominations; however, only individuals who have signified their consent to serve, if elected, shall be nominated for or elected to an office. All submissions will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee, and nominees will be submitted for consideration at a PTO General Meeting (April 11, 2023).

For information on specific responsibilities of each position, please consult the PTO By-Laws (Article VII) posted on the Galatas PTO website.

If you would like to display your Galatas Pride in your neighborhood, the PTO has yard signs for sale! Signs are $25, and you can order yours here.

Are you an ExxonMobil employee or spouse of an ExxonMobil employee? Please record your Galatas volunteer hours and ExxonMobil will match it with a corporate donation to our school! You will be contacted by the ExxonMobil Coordinator with further details.

Please sign up here and you will be contacted by the ExxonMobil Coordinator with further details.

The CISD Board of Trustees has approved the 2022-2023 calendar. For your convenience, please download the calendar here:

23-24 School Calendar

Thank you in advance for scheduling vacations and travel during school breaks and holidays.

The District is excited to announce a new addition to student safety with the implementation of the SMART tag™ I.D. system. Students in your child’s school will begin using this system on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, with the initial use to scan bus riders boarding or exiting a bus. SMART tag™ uses safe passive technology which enables your child’s I.D. card to be programmed with a unique student number. This number can only be read by the SMART tag™ tablet installed on each CISD school bus, and the I.D. number is the only digital information in the card. The goal is to have the SMART tag™ system fully implemented throughout the District by May 2023.

Upon full implementation, parents/guardians will have the ability to sign up to receive text notifications of when their child’s bus will arrive for pick up in the morning and drop off in the afternoon. When a student boards or exits the bus, the student will touch their SMART tag™ I.D. card on the SMART tag™ tablet (RFID reader) at the top of the stairs. This will allow the bus driver to determine if the student is on the right bus, as well as confirm that the student is getting off at the correct bus stop. The GPS capability is in the SMART tag™ tablet on the bus not the SMART tag™ I.D. card. All students will receive a SMART tag™ I.D. card and a lanyard in the coming days. The success of the program in large part depends on students having their SMART tag™ I.D. card with them when they get on and off the bus. We ask for your help in this regard.

The District is excited about offering its families this new service to increase safety, and we ask for your patience as we implement this new program. In the near future, your child’s SMART tag™ I.D. will also be used for cafeteria purchases and library book check-out. For more information on the program including how the passive technology works, please visit the District’s SMART tag™ website. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact the Conroe ISD Transportation Department’s The Woodlands Center at 832-592-8800 or visit our transportation website.

Conroe ISD Transportation Department

CISD Guidance and Counseling will offer three presentation for families this spring. Please see each flyer for information, dates, and locations.

Join Mitchell staff members, family, and friends for the 14th anniversary “Paint the Path Pink” event to support people who are fighting breast cancer. You can choose to walk the pink loop or participate in the 5K. A DJ will be there to pump up the crowd.

Consider joining our community event or donating to the event. Register now to participate in our “Early Registration Special”. Our event is being sponsored by “The Rose”. The Rose’s mission is to save lives through: quality breast health services, advocacy, and access to care for all. This local organization provides services to families in Montgomery County and the Houston area. We are honored to partner with such a respected charity and offer a program in which 100% of donations are tax deductible. The Rose will be able to process donations electronically. Your registration includes the “Paint the Path Pink” T-shirt.

Please return the forms to Mitchell Intermediate. You can download registration and/or donor forms below.

Are you a top dog parent heading to Mitchell next year? Mitchell Intermediate PTO has a few open positions and needs your help! Please see the picture below to see what positions may be available.

If you are interested in helping out next year in one of these positions (or have any questions), please contact Terri Singer at terridu@yahoo.com

When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (936-709-5014), the front office (936-709-5000), or email Robin Curtis (rcurtis@conroeisd.net) before 9:00 AM 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.

Attendance is recorded at 9:00 AM each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 AM 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 by emailing Robin Curtis at the email above.

Please use the Transportation Change forms any time a student needs to go home in a different way from the permanent designated mode of transportation. If you need a notepad, please let your child's teacher know and we will send one home.

All transportation changes must be received in writing by 2:00 p.m. We are unable to accept a phone call. You may send a written note to your child’s teacher (place it in your student's PAWS folder), or fill out a form in the front office. Please include the date, your child’s full name, section number, bus number (if applicable), and your signature.

If an emergency arises, you may send an email to galatastransportation@conroeisd.net . The e-mail must include all of the above information, including a parent signature, and must be received before 2:00 p.m. If you submit a transportation change by email, it must go to the email address referenced above; transportation changes should not be emailed directly to the teacher.

Please send a new note for each day the change occurs; we cannot accept notes for multiple days or with multiple changes. District policy states that a student may only ride the bus they are registered to ride.

Please support our school by joining our amazing PTO. The link below will take you to the Galatas PTO website, where you can join the PTO and explore ways to get involved at Galatas.

It is a great way to get connected with our Galatas community and other parents.

Lunch visitors are invited to enjoy our outdoor dining area (weather permitting). On rainy or other inclement weather days, we will have seating available in the Activity Room.

** Please consider limiting lunch visits to once or twice per month for each student, so that all parents have an opportunity to visit for lunch.

**Please limit the number of visitors to no more than four.

**A driver's license or government issued photo i.d. is required for adults each time they visit Galatas. We are unable to accept a photo of an i.d. Please allow time (about 5 minutes) to complete the required check-in at the front office prior to your child's lunchtime.

**We want to ensure the safety and security of everyone as they enjoy time together. If a grandparent, family member, or adult other than the parent of the student wants to visit your child during lunch, the parent must send in written permission to the front office. The note will only need to be sent in once, and at that time a notation will be made in the visitor system so that the school will have a record of the permission being granted. If a note is not sent, we will call a parent to grant permission before the visitor is allowed to join a student for lunch.

Lunchtime is limited to 25 minutes. A staff member will be monitoring the door, and will assist your child in returning to the cafeteria to join their class. Then, please head back to the front office to return your visitor sticker.

Kindergarten 11:30 AM-11:55 AM

1st Grade 11:15 AM-11:40 AM

2nd Grade 12:00 PM-12:25 PM

3rd Grade 12:25 PM-12:50 PM

4th Grade 11:50 AM-12:15 PM

Please be mindful that the next grade level parents are also excited to visit their children for lunch. We require parents to exit promptly at the designated time, to allow the next group to have lunch together.

All visitors must be able to provide a government issued, photo I.D. at each visit. Photos of the I.D. will not be accepted. Visitors will check in at the front office and receive a Visitor Badge which must be worn at all times in the building. When leaving the building, visitors must check out with the front office and return the badge.

In order to volunteer at school, a Volunteer in CISD Application must be completed.

Please visit volunteer-in-cisd to complete the process.

Please help your student be fully prepared for their day by ensuring that they have all needed materials (backpack, lunch, water bottle, etc...) before leaving for school in the morning.

To minimize interruptions to classrooms, please limit drop-offs to the following items:

• Water bottles and lunches may be placed on the Drop-off table before 10:00 a.m. at the front office. These items should be labeled with your child’s name and section number to ensure proper delivery. Items are taken at 10:00 a.m. to a drop-off table at the end of each hallway, so please email the teacher to let them know that you have dropped off the water bottle or lunch.

• If you need eye glasses delivered to your child, please do not put them on the drop-off table. Bring them to the office staff for immediate delivery to your child.

• Any class work or homework that is dropped off will be placed in the teacher’s mailbox to be picked up during the day.

Delivery of flowers, balloons, etc. to students at school are not permitted.

Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker. Students may refill their bottles during the day at one of our new water bottle filling stations.

Over the holidays, some students received a cell phone and/or a smart watch. As a reminder, smart watches and cell phones should be turned off and placed in the student's backpack during school. Students should not use their devices to send or receive messages during the day. Please help us reinforce expectations by reminding your child of these procedures.

Please keep your child home if they are showing any signs of illness or reporting that they do not feel well.

Medication at school: If your child needs medications while at school, please email the nurse at kriggs@conroeisd.net to schedule a drop-off time. Students may not bring medication to school; all medication must be checked in with the School Nurse by a parent or guardian.

Prescription medications must be in the original prescription container and unexpired. Scheduled prescription medications must have a specific scheduled time on the prescription label, not a time range, and be in the original prescription bottle. Over the counter medications must be age specific and have directions on the manufacturer's label for your student's age.

All students who require an Action Plan must have a new and up to date form completed by the physician for the 2022-2023 school year.

Extra change of clothes: Please include a change of clothing in each student’s backpack in case of a spill, fall in the mud, or restroom accident. The nurse has a very limited supply of extra clothes and will try to find something suitable for the student to wear, but having their own set of clothes will save time and help the student be more comfortable.

If you have questions about COVID-19, please refer to the District's informational web page here.

Thank you,

Katy Riggs, RN

Christus Healthy Living Mobile Clinic is offering a monthly vaccination clinic. For information, please visit the link: Monthly Vaccine Clinic

Do you want to recognize an AWESOME Galatas Staff member? If so, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to Parent Access.
2. Click on communication.
3. Choose Teacher/Staff Excellence from the drop down menu.
4. Select the employee to receive recognition from the drop down menu.
5. Click create TAE.
6. Click any of the pre-populated choices that apply.
7. Type any additional comments in the Additional Comment box.
8. Click the box labeled Create Teachers Achieving Excellence button.

When you visit Galatas, we have designated the 8 parking spaces at the entrance (closest to the school) as "visitor" spots. We welcome you to use these spots when you visit the campus. The lower parking lot has been designated as "staff" parking, (as well as a couple of spots that are reserved for our Springetti Parking winners).

If all the visitor spots are full, we ask that you please park at either Cattail Park, the row of spots closest to Galatas in the Community Baptist Church, or the closest end spots at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. These two churches have graciously offered these spots to us as our Galatas Family grows.

Thank you for your help with parking!

Sometimes it is necessary for a student to be checked out of school before dismissal.

If you know that you will need to check-out your child during the school day, please let their teacher know so that they can help your child gather their belongings and prepare for an early departure.

As a reminder, to ensure the safety of all students at dismissal, the latest a student can be checked out of school is 2:45 p.m.

With the exception of service animals, dogs and other pets are not allowed on school grounds, including at the top of the hill during arrival and dismissal.

This is for the health and safety of our students and staff members.

The speed limit in the Galatas school zone is 20 mph. This is to ensure the safety of all of our community members during very busy times in the morning and afternoon. As families enter and exit the car line, please take care to drive slowly and carefully.

In addition, cell phone use in a school zone is prohibited. As you enter areas around schools, please end your calls and put your phone away.

The CISD Police and Montgomery County Sheriff's Department patrol our school zones to ensure everyone's safety, and will issue citations if necessary.

Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe!

Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:

--Only cross at crosswalks! Our crossing guards and staff are here to keep everyone safe and ensure that families cross intersections in an efficient manner.

--Please do not park behind staff cars in the school parking lot. Please park in a parking space, as blocking cars could cause a safety concern in case of an emergency.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at Hayden's Run and Wyndspire South. Please keep the sight lines at the entrance clear for entering and exiting vehicles.

--Please be considerate of our neighbors at South Silvershire Circle. Please do not park on the grass or lawn of the homes. Take care not to block driveways and leave enough room for residents to easily drive in their neighborhood at all times.

The 2022-2023 CISD school calendar. For your planning purposes, please download the calendar here.

March

7 PTO Meeting: 10:00 a.m.

9-10 Field Day Schedules: No Lunch Visitors

9 Field Day: 1st Grade & 2nd Grade 8:30 AM

9 Field Day: Kindergarten 1:00 PM

10 Field Day: 3rd Grade and 4th Grade 8:30 AM

13-17 NO SCHOOL: Spring Break

20 NO SCHOOL: Student Holiday

23 Spring Pictures

24 Springetti Ticket sales close

27-30 Springetti Online Auction

30 Springetti Preview

31 Springetti Fundraiser 5-8 PM

April

7 NO SCHOOL: Good Friday

10 NO SCHOOL: Holiday

11 PTO Meeting: 10:00 AM

13 Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

17-21 Book Fair

24-28 STAAR Testing-Campus Closed to Visitors

25 STAAR Reading, 3rd and 4th grade students

May

1-5 STAAR Testing-Campus Closed to Visitors

2 STAAR Math, 3rd and 4th grade students

9 PTO Meeting: 10:00 a.m.

11 4th Grade Program: 6:30 PM

15-17 Galatas Science Camp

23 Yearbook Signing

25 4th Grade Clap Out: 10:00 a.m.

25 Early Dismissal: 12:10 p.m. Last Day of School