Chisholm Trail Times
August 2018
Welcome to a New School Year!
Welcome to Chisholm Trail Elementary! We are so happy to have your child with us this year.
Our building opens at 7:20 a.m. and schools starts at 7:50 a.m. Students are tardy if they arrive after 7:55 a.m. At 7:55, the doors lock and students must come through the front office to get a tardy slip. At 7:55 a.m. the outside doors will lock, so you will need to walk your child to the front and use the intercom system to get in the building. Please make sure your student is here and ready to learn before 7:50 a.m. At 7:50 a.m. the gate at the back (west entrance) of the school will be locked because the doors at the back of the school automatically lock. Please do not drop your student off at the back (west entrance) of the school if those gates are closed because your child would be locked out of the building. After 7:50 a.m., please drop off at the front (east side, Keaton Rd.) of the building so that your child will be safe. The entrance at the north end of the school is for buses and daycare vans only. (FM 455)
If your child is going to eat breakfast at school, please use the drop-off located at the back of the building, closest to the cafeteria. Breakfast begins at 7:20 a.m. and closes at 7:45 a.m. Staff members will assist your child in finding his/her classroom after breakfast. Visit www.sangerisd.net/domain/29 for cafeteria info.
Students who are not eating breakfast at school and who arrive before 7:35 a.m. will need to go to the gym. At 7:35, the teachers will pick up their class from the gym and go to the classroom. Students arriving after 7:35 will be directed to their classrooms. We have several hall monitors to assist our students until they are comfortable finding their way to class.
Our morning announcements begin at 7:50. Students will have the opportunity to lead the building in the pledges to the United States and Texas flags. Each classroom has a week and students are sent to the office to lead the pledge over the public address system. Also, our second grade students raise and lower the flags each day, weather permitting.
If you have the opportunity to eat lunch on occasion with your child, please bring your drivers license, as you will have to scan in when you enter the building. All visitors must wear a visitor sticker when coming for lunch or a special program or party.
Our school day ends at 3:20 p.m. Bus and day care students are escorted to their dismissal point. Kindergarten students who are car riders are to be picked up in front of the building (east entrance on Keaton Rd). If they have an older sibling at CTE, the older sibling will come to the front entrance as well. First and second grade students will get picked up at the back of the building (west entrance). The lane closest to the building is for first grade parents, and the lane to the outside is for second grade parents. The older sibling should always find the younger sibling to make loading more efficient. Please discuss with your child how he/she will be going home and make sure your child’s teacher knows. If your daily routine changes, please let your teacher know through a note in the backpack or call the office before 2:00 p.m. Please do not get out of your cars when picking students up in the afternoon. If you will stay in your car in the line, we will help load your child and we are pretty efficient and loading goes quickly. Don’t forget to use your car visor tag that we are happy to provide.
We have minimal parking around our campus, and during arrival and dismissal it can be quite congested. In the mornings, please be courteous and do not park between the signs. We designate the space between the signs for quick drop off only. Please respect this space between the signs, as parents will be trying to get to work. If you are not prepared to drop your student off yet, please pull away from the drop off area. Please drive slowly and cautiously while on our campus. Small children may not be watching for you and we want to keep everyone safe. Please allow yourself plenty of time when coming to school so that you and your child are not rushed.
Remember that our children are watching what we say and do and we want them to learn patience and kindness. Usually our lack of parking causes the most problems on our campus, so please pack your patience.
TIP: Don’t wait until the last few minutes to drop off your child. Remember, our doors open at 7:20 a.m.
You are welcome to walk your child to class the first week! Sometimes it may be hard for the child and parent to separate; we will be coming around to assist in the process. If your child cries, it will be easiest if you can leave quickly and we will call you if your child is unable to calm down.
This year, we have a new SAFETY POLICY which is explained in detail in the next section of this newsletter. Parents will be allowed to walk their child to class the first three days. Beginning August 20, 2018, parents will not be allowed in the building during morning time. Volunteers who have been cleared through central office may check into the building no earlier than 8:30 a.m. (except for Buckaroo Race Day)
I hope this has answered some of your questions. If I can be of further service, please contact me. Also visit the website for more information about our campus. We are going to have a fantastic year!
Alice Ford, Principal
New Safety Policy for 2018-2019 School Year
Safety Notification
Due to all the safety and security concerns with our public schools across the nation and in Texas, Sanger ISD will be taking steps to increase our safety measures.
We want to keep our schools open for families and yet we want to keep our children and staff members safe. Our District will be taking steps this year to increase safety and security at our schools while maintaining a welcoming place for our families. Our district has established a District/community safety committee that will be addressing further activities and issues that we will need to review to continue meeting the needs of providing a safe and positive atmosphere for learning.
Change in Elementary Procedures:
Elementary parents will be allowed to walk their students to their classrooms the first week of school. Starting Monday, August 20th, parents will not be allowed to accompany their child to their classroom (except when a new student is enrolling). This procedure is to ensure that our building is safe and secure and our attention is on the safety of our students and getting their daily routines started without distraction. Starting Monday, August 20th, all parents will need to go through normal check-in procedures through the front office when attending a parent conference or a school-sponsored event.
What parents can do:
Drop-off and pick-up students according to the regular school schedule and guidelines.
Observe signs on all doors on your child's campuses regarding access to the school building. Our students and staff will be trained in not opening outside doors for family or visitors.
Sign in and out when visiting school campuses.
Inform campus staff when your are unable to pick-up your student within the regular school day.
Update school emergency information as needed.
Make a safety plan for after-school pick-up, walking to and from school, and even out-of-school time.
Support campus procedures and drill protocols to ensure our students are prepared for any crisis that may occur.
Please call your campus administrator if you have any questions regarding your child's campus procedures as outlined by the District safety guidelines. For safety questions to the district, please contact Debby Moore, Student Services at 940-458-7438, Extension 25.