Buckalew Buzz

Buckalew Bears Motto:

"Today I choose to BE Kind, Work Hard, and Do My BEst!"

Our school hours are officially 8:00-3:10. Students may arrive as early as 7:30.

Email: contactbuckalew@conroeisd.net
Website: https://buckalew.conroeisd.net/
Location: 4909 Alden Bridge Dr, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 2814653400
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuckalewCISD/

Instagram: @buckalewbears
Twitter: @buckalewbears

Buckalew Family,

We are well underway into our first grading period of the 23-24 school year. Our teachers and staff have put in countless hours above and beyond the school day to make this a smooth start to our school year. From dismissal and car rider tags, to lunch duties and monitoring the heat index, it takes our incredible staff who work extremely hard with safety as our priority. In addition to safety, an inordinate amount of time is spent making sure our instructional time is planned and seamless for our students. We are so very blessed to have the incredible staff at Buckalew who do what they do for our children.

I also want to thank each of you for attending our grade level orientations last week. We are so blessed to have an amazing community full of supportive parents. We also want to TWHS Football Readers that came out Friday to read to our classes for their community service on a gameday!

We will have our first PTO meeting of the year this Friday and just a friendly reminder, we have NO SCHOOL on Monday September 4th, for Labor Day. Enjoy your long weekend ahead.

Thank you for an amazing start to our year!

Mrs. Price

**Please pay close attention to homeroom teacher newsletters for class-specific events.**

September

1 - PTO Meeting - Buckalew Library

1 - Kona Ice Spirit Night - right after school

4 - Labor Day (No School)

15-Fall Pictures

20-Read for a Better Life

October

2-13- Coat Drive (Kindergarten Community Service Project)

5- Walk to School Day/End of 1st Quarter

6- Staff Development Day- No Students

9- School Holiday- Columbus Day

13- PTO Meeting- Bond Presentation

14- Bike Rodeo

16-27- Pajama Drive (details to follow- 2nd Grade Community Service Project)

20- Picture Retakes

23-27- Red Ribbon Week

27- Storybook Parade

Do you need to report an early release, an absence from school, or a transportation change? Print and fill out our Note to the Front Office found on our website. Click the green button labeled Note to the Front Office:-

CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED TO OUR WEBSITE

Conroe ISD is convening a School Cell Phone Committee to evaluate the District’s current cell phone guidelines and the recommendation by the School Health Advisory Council Mental Health Subcommittee. Any parents or community members interested in participating should complete the form at the linked site by Wednesday, August 30th. https://www.conroeisd.net/school-cell-phone-committee/

As we continue to monitor safety practices on campus regularly, we would like to ask for your assistance in this practice. On a daily basis, through Active Start in the mornings, recess during the day, and even during PE when outside, we have adults approaching our students through the fence line of Lakeside Park. We kindly ask that you refrain from engaging your child or other children through outside parameters of our gates and doors. It becomes confusing for students to know who they should or should not talk to from the fence line. It becomes difficult for staff monitoring to differentiate who are parents or strangers engaging the students as well. We kindly ask that after you drop your child off and say goodbye, that you do not interact with the students from the fence areas. We thank you for your assistance in reinforcing student safety, as it is a public park with a lot of traffic throughout the day.

August 1, 2023, the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to put four propositions on the Nov 7th ballot for a bond referendum. Learn about the Bond Overview and Propositions here. Read how CISD BOND 2023 can impact the Buckalew Community as well as the entire district.

On October 13, 2023- Buckalew will have a speaker at our PTO meeting at 11:15 am in Buckalew's Library to speak about the BOND and the impact of CISD.

Parent Lunch Reservations will now be found on our Website. Parent lunch visitors may start August 21, on a reservation basis. We simply don't have enough space to accommodate those without reservations.

Go to Lunch Reservations and find the green 'Parent Lunch Reservation' button on our Home page. It will take you through to Signup Genius from there.

Click Here to be redirected to our Website

Are you cleaning out closets and drawers of outgrown clothing? Not sure what to do with the clothes?

The clinic is in need of boys' shorts, pants and shirts.

Also, make sure and back extra clothes for your child in their backpack! Spills also happen at lunch!

Thank you so much!

Nurse Alison

Now that we are back to school students are sharing germs. Just a reminder about CISD's illness policy.

If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher, he or she must stay out of school until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. In addition, students with diarrhea or vomiting must stay home until he/she is diarrhea and vomiting free without diarrhea or vomiting-suppressing medications for at least 24 hours.

Thanks for helping to keep our Buckalew Bears healthy!

Nurse Alison

Progress reports may be viewed in Parent Access on Tuesday, September 9. Paper copies of the progress reports will not be generated and sent home.

If you have not signed up for a Parent Access account, please visit the Buckalew home page and click on Technology green widget. Then select ‘Parent Access.' If you have any problems, please refer to the Parent Access Registration link or you may call or email our Technology Help Desk. 936-709-7658, help@conroeisd.net

Bel Canto is open to ALL 4th grade students at Buckalew no matter your musical background! We are renaming our choir this year with a beautiful new logo as well. You do not need to audition, just bring yourself, and you are welcome. Choir starts Tuesday, August 29th, BEFORE school from 7:10-7:55 AM and continues each Tuesday and Thursday unless otherwise noted. If you are interested in joining, please fill out the Choir Sign Up Form prior to rehearsal Tuesday 8/29. (Click on link above to fill out form or retrieve a form from outside the Music Room)

Please contact Mrs. Ramirez with any questions at sdramirez@conroeisd.net. More detailed information can be found on the second page of the Sign Up Form and will be sent after sign up as well. Hope to see you there!

A big thank you to our seasoned library volunteers filling in where needed these first few weeks!

If you would like to be added to the library volunteer e-mail sign up genius, please contact Jenny Bardoux, our Library Volunteer Coordinator at msbardoux@gmail.com and she will add you to our list.

Book fair will be coming to our school in September! Contact Bridgett Blevins at:

Bridgette0925@yahoo.com, to get on our book fair volunteer list. We need help with setting up, running the cash register (super easy and fun) and takedown.

Students come to the library every 8 days, except for kinder who comes every 3 days. We don't charge fines for overdue books at Buckalew, we just want the book back ASAP. We do however ask they you pay for a book that is lost or damaged while checked out to your student. We've discussed responsibility with our library books and how to keep them from water, pets and babies.

If your student has a lost or damaged book from last year it was added to School Cash Online in May and you received an e-mail letting you know you have an item to purchase. The expectation is those lost/damaged books are paid for BEFORE checking out books this year. Feel free to bounce back with any questions!

Welcome to the Counselor's Corner! I am Mrs. Points, your school counselor. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at kpoints@conroeisd.net. I look forward to working with your family. 😊

4th Grade Safety Kids perform a very important role in our building. They are school leaders who model the best in hallway behavior and manners. Safety Kids welcome and assist other Buckalew students to class in a timely, positive manner. They also protect the safety of all students walking down our busy morning hallways. If your current fourth grader is interested in serving as a Safety Kid, please fill out the Safety Kid link. The last day to sign-up is Friday, September 8th.

CLICK HERE

I am self-aware.

I can manage myself.

I am aware of others.

I can build relationships with others.

I can make responsible decisions.

August Responsibility

September Trustworthiness

October Respect

November Gratitude

December Caring

January Wisdom

February Kindness

March Forgiveness

April Perseverance

May Citizenship

If you have moved or plan on moving please send an email to our Registrar, Lindy George on legeorge@conroeisd.net.

Our Buckalew Staff and community want to thank our PTO for the following upgrades that took place this summer! What a difference it makes!

• Check out our BOOK VENDING Machine! More information about this coming soon!
• Buckalew Bear Paw Prints along Alden Bridge and in front of Buckalew!
• Bike parking for Visitors!
• Front office re-design!

Please consider joining the Buckalew PTO! Memberships and yard signs are currently available for purchase on the Buckalew Spirit store at https://buckalewbearspto.com. The cost of your membership helps support PTO activities and includes a copy of the school-wide student directory, if you purchase by September 19.

• First PTO Meeting: Friday, September 1 · 11:30 a.m. · Buckalew Library. Come learn more about how we support Buckalew and how you can get involved! Bring the little ones. Bring a friend.
• Kona Ice Spirit Night AND Big Bear Little Bear Play Date: Friday, September 1 · RIGHT after school · Lakeside Park Mix and mingle with old and new friends! Cool off with Kona Ice!

The Second and Final Buckalew Spirit Sale is now underway! The Spirit Web-Store will close on September 15th. Don’t hesitate, order now!

We are so excited that Buckalew is turning 25 and have created a special 25th Anniversary spirit shirt edition with lots of bundle options.

To place your order go to: www.buckalewbearspto.com

Or http://buckalewpto2023.itemorder.com

Please be sure to include your oldest student’s name and teacher for the 2023-24 school year when checking out. Purchases will be delivered to classrooms at the end of October.

Spirit wear items are worn many days throughout the school year including Spirit Days, Field Trips, Boosterthon & Field Day. Don’t forget that Spirit Wear sales are a big fundraiser for the school as well!

*Please note that sizing charts for all shirts can be found on the web-store.

Happy 25th Anniversary Buckalew and thank you for Supporting the PTO!

Hey, Buckalew families! Welcome back! There’s a super easy way to help our school earn money with our everyday spending. Kroger Rewards and Boxtops! It takes about 30 seconds and will donate directly to our school. Just download the Kroger app and the Boxtops app to start donating! Cheers to a great year ahead!

President – Elizabeth Kutka

VP Fundraising – Catherine Boeger

VP Parent Involvement – Sarah Bartnick

VP Communications – Felisha Hennessey

Treasurer – Carrie Foster

Secretary – Jainelle Kemp

Parliamentarian – Brooke Roberts

If you are interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities, please email BuckalewPTOVolunteers@gmail.com and let us know that you would like to be included on our volunteer list. You can also sign up using the QR code.

We currently have several PTO Board/ Committee positions available. We are looking to fill positions for Fall Fundraiser Coordinator (Boosterthon), Yearbook Marketing, 3rd Grade Photographer/ Yearbook, School Supplies, and several positions within the Carnival Committee. If you are interested in any of these positions, or would like more information, please contact Brooke Roberts, PTO Parliamentarian, manchin26@aol.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and check out our website BuckalewBearsPTO.com.

The purpose of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is to:

(a) Promote the welfare of children at Buckalew

(b) To foster cooperation between parents and teachers in the education of children at Buckalew

(c) To unite school and community efforts in securing the best education for all children

(d) To engage in fundraising activities for the educational and recreational benefit of Buckalew, its children, teachers, and staff as determined by the PTO and in accordance with the PTO by-laws.

We ask EVERY PERSON entering Buckalew to be approved as a CISD volunteer. This is for the safety of all students, as a background check is carried out.

Click the button below to complete the form. You will need your drivers license number;

Please bring your ID with you each and every time you come to Buckalew. This is a safety layer that we check in all visitors.

When your child is absent, please call the school attendance line (281-465-3410) or email buckalewabsence@conroeisd.net 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.

Please remember that attendance is recorded at 9:00 a.m. each day. If your child is absent at 9:00 a.m. 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.

School hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. and students will be counted tardy if they are not in their classroom at that time.

We strive to dismiss all our students safely from our building. Please do not come to the Front Office at dismissal time to call your child from class. We cannot dismiss students directly from the classroom or in the hallway at dismissal time. Students will not be released after 2:30 p.m. from the Front Office.

If you are checking out your child prior to 2:30pm, please come into the Front Office and provide your identification. We will then call your child to meet you in the Front Office. Due to safety reasons, we cannot call your child to the Front Office unless you are here.

If you are checking your child out during specials or lunchtimes, please note that it may take a little longer to locate your child from their specials or lunch room and for us and them to get their back packs from their room. Please leave ample time for this if you have any appointments to attend.

We have an abundance of children and families who bike or walk to and from school. Many of your family members include your pets, joining you on your bike or walk to and from school. For your liability, and the safety of others, please refrain from bringing your dogs into the biker walker area beyond the posted signage. We have 2 signs in this area posted that should allow room for your dog, however, will prevent them from being in our most congested areas during arrival and dismissal. We have many children afraid of dogs, even though your dog may be friendly and well-mannered. We have also had dogs get into altercations with other dogs in front of this area and we kindly ask that if you choose to bring your dog, that they stay beyond the posted signs as you watch your child enter or exit our doors.

Thank you for your understanding.

If you have lost or need a new car rider sign, please email the following email address with your child(rens) full name, home room teacher and grade, we will send 2 copies home with your child:-

buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net

Active Start is a before school "free play" for students arriving at school from 7:30-7:45. Weather-permitting, students go to the k-2 playground prior to the start of school. Students arriving after 7:45 will go straight to homerooms.

Breakfast is served in our cafeteria from 7:30-7:55 daily. See below for menu. See fees below for both breakfast and lunch.

If anyone other than a parent/ guardian checking out a student from our campus, we will need a note, sent in with your child, in their backpack on that day or an email to buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net. If we do not have a note from a parent/guardian, the Front Office will call to get permission for your child to leave our campus.

The Emergency Card completed at the beginning of the school year is for us to be able to contact someone in a situation where we cannot get hold of a parent/guardian. It is not permission for those emergency contacts to check out a child, any time.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we strive to keep our students safe whilst on our campus.

ALL Parents should have received 2 CAR RIDER/Dismissal Signs at Meet the teacher. These are used for safety precautions when we are dismissing more than 700 students. We thank you for keeping 1 sign in each car.

For KG ONLY: We are requiring Kindergarten parents only at Biker Walker to carry this sign with them to pick up their child at the biker walker doors. With our growing enrollment and various staff members on duty, it adds an extra layer to make sure we are connecting the correct kindergarten student with their care giver.

Take a photo of the sign? We have had several people ask if they can use a photo of this Dismissal Sign on their phone. The answer is YES! Feel free to take a picture to keep on your phone in case of transportation changes or loss of the sign, or emergency instances with severe weather. Please know that the original sign is IDEAL, as it is designed for those calling dismissal to be able to read. On a cell phone, that will slow down the line.

1. Bus rider (eligible if home is 1 mile or further from school) Bus routes are posted online on and you can check the link below in "what bus do I ride". You can also register your child for the bus by clicking the link below in the Buzz. You can also register for CISD SMART TAG

2. Car Rider Signs. The car rider line will be at the rear of the school and the bus line will be at the front of the school. ALL Parents should have received TWO car rider signs (yellow) at Meet the Teacher night. Please display the car rider sign in your front passenger window so our staff can read your card. See below to help you navigate our car rider line if you are new.

3. Day Care. Day care vehicles drop off and pick up students in the front of the school with the buses. If your child will not be riding the day care bus due to an early pick-up or transportation change, please notify the day care so they know your child will not be riding that day.

4. Biker/Walker. Kindergarten students must have a parent/guardian/designated adult present with the car rider sign at the Biker Walker doors (under the patio) at dismissal in order to walk or bike home. All other Biker Walkers will exit the school near the bike racks. All other biker/walkers are released at dismissal to ride or walk home independently.

On severe weather dismissal days, students will not walk or bike ride home. If your child is a biker/walker as your primary mode, then you will be a car rider on severe weather days. There is no rainy day dismissal.

We offer parents the courtesy of a drop table to deliver forgotten items, which is located in our Front Office. There are pens, paper and tape available for you to use to clearly identify items for your child to pick up. We will call the classrooms at 10am to inform all students of items on the drop table.

Please make sure lunches and birthday cookies are clearly labeled and brought into our school before 11:15am so that we can send them to the cafeteria on our lunch cart, for the allotted lunch times. We have limited staff available after this time.

We thank you for understanding.

To make transportation changes, please send a note in your child's backpack to the teacher OR email: buckalewtransportation@conroeisd.net prior to 2pm with your childs full name, grade and homeroom teacher. Any changes submitted after 2pm will not be seen until the following school day.

Alternatively, please print the form to the Front Office below:-

We are working with our students on understanding the lunch-buying process. It can be quite confusing for our elementary students. We are currently speaking with our students and explaining to them, if they bring a lunch, they should eat their lunch before going through the line and purchasing an additional lunch. As we try and navigate each student through the lunch line, every child has a different need, and we never want to deny students from going through the lunch line. We encourage you to communicate with your child your expectations in either: eating the lunch you are providing/packing; buying extra lunch only and going through the line one time; or explaining that if they go through the line a second time, their account is charged again. We also encourage you to check your child's account, by going to the link below and you can check and monitor your child's purchase history, and if necessary put a limit on the account by contacting our cafeteria directly.

Breakfast

Student Breakfast $2.00

Student Reduced Breakfast $.0

Non-Student Breakfast/ 2nd Student Breakfast $3.30

Lunch

Student Lunch $3.20

Student Reduced Lunch $.40

Non-student Lunch/ 2nd Student Lunch $4.60

Entree $3.00

Milk $1.15

Fruit/ Vegetable/ Grain $1.75

A La Carte

• Extra entrees, extra sides, chips, cookies, etc. are all charged a la carte prices and are not included in the meal.
• For example, if a student gets a meal of chicken smackers, mashed potatoes, and milk, but wants an extra portion of chicken smackers, the extra portion is not considered a part of the meal and will be charged an additional $3.00.
• If a parent wishes to restrict a la carte purchases, please contact the Child Nutrition Office.

You may prepay by using My School Bucks. You will find a link to this service, lunch menus, and other helpful information by clicking on the child nutrition resource button below. If you would like to put a cap on your child's spending on your lunch account, then please notify our cafeteria manager by calling 281-465-3467.

Children are encouraged to bring water bottles each day. Please clearly write your child's name on the bottle with permanent marker.

A friendly reminder to please label all of your child's belongings with first name and last initial or last name. **Water bottles, lunch boxes, hats, and especially outerwear such as hoodies/jackets/sweaters are all great things to label as these items tend to pile up quickly in the Lost and Found, which is located right outside of the gym. We really hope to reunite these lost items with their owners before the break!

If you have any additional questions, please contact gabinkwon84@gmail.com

PDF to help you navigate Buckalew-specific dates, procedures, and information. Please note that all information in the attached handbook is subject to change due to state and local policy updates.

We thank you for planning ahead. Please use this calendar for your planning purposes to maximize instructional days.