The Howl
December 1, 2020
Note from the Principal
Dear TCI Families,
I hope this finds everyone rested and ready to move into December. During this holiday season I wish your family joy, happiness, and love. This is a busy time of year so I hope you have the opportunity to slow down and enjoy every moment. Happy Holidays!
Deborah Spoon
Principal, Tom Cox Intermediate
Important Dates
Picture Day for all students
Friday, December 4
Student/Staff Pep Rally
(Pep Rally to be held outdoors depending on the weather.
If it is wet/cold we will reschedule the pep rally for a future date and time)
Friday, December 18
1/2 Day for Students
Winter Break
12/21-1/5 Students return on the 1/6
Picture Day at Cox
Picture Day:
Thursday, December 3, 2020 will be “Picture Day” for all Cox students. Pictures for Virtual Learners will be taken between 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM on the same day. Virtual Learners will need to check in to the front office and complete the screening form before reporting to the library for pictures.
Students will need to return picture order forms to their home-base teachers on or before the day of pictures. Parents of Virtual Learners may pick a packet up in the front office or fill one out on the day of pictures. Parents will not need to include sales tax with order.
If you would like to order and pay online for pictures see information below. Parents do not need to include sales tax with their order. There will be a $5 shipping fee for online orders. Orders will be shipped directly to the student's home address.
To prepay online:
1. Go to http://online.phototexasphotography.com
2. Use online order code: PTPUC
3. Select your school
Bike Racks are Here!
We added two more bike racks at TCI! | Love TCI being close enough for students to ride their bikes to school! | We now have a total of 88 spots for bikes. They are full everyday! |
Winter Student Spirit Days! Join in on the fun!

Gifted and Talented (GT) Program
Gifted and Talented:
The deadline for GT referral request is December 18, 2020. Testing will not take place until late January for both remote and in-person platforms. Referral requests can be made by the parents and/or teachers. If you are interested in referring your child, you may want to discuss this with your child’s teacher. You may request a referral form from the front office or the Assistant Principal. You can also find the referral form and other GT information on the CISD GT homepage.
UIL A+ Competition
We are excited to announce our upcoming UIL Academics events for our 5th and 6th grade students. TCI students will compete with their selected teams on December 5th via Zoom. The teams are: (1) Listening, (2) Number Sense, and (3) Maps, Graph and Charts. Students will be coached by a teacher on our campus, weekly, to ensure they are ready for our district competition. If your child is interested in joining a team, they can sign up with the Google Form located on our Library Canvas page. The students have until October 3rd to sign up.
Fifth Grade Core Subjects (click on image below)
Sixth Grade Core Subjects (click on image below)
Tom Cox Intermediate School Library
Check out the news below to see what's happening in our library, and the world of reading!
Congratulations to our Door Contest Winners from Generation Texas Week! Thank you to our Student Council who judged the contest.
COUNSELORS' CORNER
From the TCI Counselors, Mrs. Bodin and Mrs. Kowis.
We can't believe it's already December and the end of the first semester is fast approaching. We just completed two of our Power of Polite sessions. The students learned how to introduce themselves, basic table manners and how to tie a tie. It was a lot of fun working with the students. Take a look:
Toys for Santa's Dreams!
Tie Day At TCI


Student Council
Student Council
As the holidays quickly approach, our Student Council is getting busy. The Student Council members have chosen to provide a small holiday bag to our cafeteria/custodial staff and bus drivers. A sign-up genius will be posted on the Student Council canvas page soon with a list of requested donations. Our next Student Council meeting will be Friday, December 4th for both 5th and 6th grades.
Last Year's Mosaic Project!

Notes from the School Nurse
The cooler weather provides the perfect time to pack some snacks, grab a sweater and head outside! Even with all the social distancing guidelines, we have so many awesome opportunities to get out and explore locally. Here are a few ideas for you and your family to make the most of the coming months, all while being socially conscious.
Find a Corn Maze!
There are multiple local farms around just waiting for you to come explore! Getting lost in a corn maze is not only good exercise; it is a great way for kids to practice directions, critical thinking, and memory building!
Visit an Outdoor Light Display
Several local area venues including, the Houston Zoo, Nasa & Santa’s Wonderland have beautiful displays that you can safely enjoy!
Get Outside!
Exercise is such a fun way to keep us healthy! Grab a friend and head outdoors to try cooler weather activities like hiking, biking, walking to look at the fall colors, and playing games like soccer and kick ball.
Remember to have your student bring and wear a mask to school each day and keep an extra one in your student's backpack.
Stay safe & Healthy!
Margaret Saxe RN

Tom Cox PTO

Yearbooks
Parents and students,
Our hope is to create a quality memory book for your kiddos similar to the ones in the past BUT…..we really need your help!! To make this the best book ever we are utilizing the Balfour Image Share mobile device app to allow you and your kiddo to submit pics directly to the yearbook throughout the year. In our first themed request, we would like to see the following:
Pics of your first day of school
Pics of you working in your virtual learning space
Pics of your student dressed up this week for Red Ribbon Week
We will organize the pics and try to make a spread highlighting these aspects of student life for 2021. To use the app go to the app store and download “Balfour Image Share” to your device and register your account. Please use our code, 125318.
Kind Regards,
Amber Rogers
PTO Brand Coordinator
Support TCI PTO
Help support Tom Cox Intermediate School PTO
Shop with Amazon Smile!
0.5% of all eligible purchases will be donated to Tom Cox Intermediate School PTO.
Register today!
How to Register: Visit www.smile.amazon.com
Select Tom Cox Intermediate School PTO as your charitable organization Start Shopping!
Kroger Community Awards
Box Tops
Join me in earning cash for our school by using the Box Tops app. It’s an easy way to make a difference. All you have to do is buy Box Tops participating products (like Cheerios!) and scan your grocery receipt. Box Tops are worth $.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies or experiences the kids love!
Download the Box Tops for Education app here: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=I9G499H6
RAINY DAY DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Rainy/Cold Day Dismissal
If your student is a walker/biker they will be expected to walk or ride their bike on rainy days, unless you and your child have an alternate plan in place. If you choose for your child to be a car-rider on rainy days it is not necessary to complete a transportation change form.
In the case of severe weather (thunderstorms, lightening, blizzard) we may hold walkers/bikers until we feel it is safe for them to walk or ride home. If that does occur we will contact the parent to inform them of the delay. Bus transportation will run as scheduled.
