The Howl
October 2023
Tom Cox Timberwolves
Principal: Deborah Spoon
5th Grade Asst. Principal: Valentina Majeski
6th Grade Asst. Principal: Raymond Conley
5th Grade Counselor: Jessica Kowis
6th Grade Counselor: Tara Bodin
Mission: Growing Learners to be Productive Global Citizens
Guidelines for Success: Timberwolves. . . Heart to L.E.A.D.!
Learners: Engaged in learning, problem solvers, innovators
Empathize: Awareness and understanding of each other's thoughts and feelings
Appreciate: We are all unique! We respect and celebrate our differences and similarities
Dedicated: Committed to achieving ones goals even when it is hard!
Inspire others to achieve their goals
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Timberwolves...Heart to L.E.A.D.
Dear TCI Families,
Happy October! Summer is actually my favorite time of year, I am sad to let it go. But, I have to admit I am looking forward to the cool, crisp air of Fall. I am sure we would all agree it is time for a weather change.
We have had a busy start to our school year! We kicked off our Boosterthon fundraiser early this year and raised over 30,000 dollars for the school. Thank you to our PTO, parents, and students for your dedication and support. The money will go towards needed technology, offset cost of field trips and PE/recess equipment. I guess we will have to deliver on our promise...If we our meet our goal the administrators and one PE coach will be turned into ice-cream sundaes. Yikes!
Thank you,
Debbie Spoon, Principal
IMPORTANT DATES FOR OCTOBER
October 3
Picture Day!
October 6
Student Holiday!
October 11
Fall Feeder Choir Event, GOHS 6:00 pm
October 23-27
Red Ribbon Week
October 26
Fall Pep Rally
November 7
Election Day!
November 10
Veterans Day Assembly
November 20-24
Thanksgiving Holiday
2023-2024 Cox Intermediate Yearbook Cover Contest!
FUN AT FAMILY READING EVENT!
The Book Fair was a success! Not only was it an opportunity to promote reading but we raised over 10,000 dollars. Thank you to our amazing Librarian Ms. Houck and all our parent and staff volunteers.
Bond 2023 OVERVIEW!
Prop A in Bond 2023 includes 8 new schools. Conroe ISD schools are collectively at 104% capacity with some campuses exceeding 150% of capacity. The largest project in Prop A is a new high school for the Conroe area to relieve Conroe and Caney Creek High Schools. Conroe High School’s enrollment is over 5,000 students and projected to exceed 6,000 students in three years.
New Schools in Prop A are as follows:
- The Woodlands Feeder Elementary (opens 2025)
- 242 Corridor Elementary (opens 2025)
- Grand Oaks 7-8, 9th Grade Campus (opens 2026)
- Grand Oaks Feeder Elementary (opens 2026)
- Conroe Area High School (opens 2027)
- Caney Creek 9th Grade Campus (opens 2027)
- Conroe Area Junior High (opens 2027)
- Conroe Area Intermediate (opens 2027)
Prop A also includes additions to 3 campuses. They are as follows:
- McCullough Junior High (500 seats)
- Hailey Elementary (100 seats)
- Ford Elementary (100 seats)
To learn more about these and other items in Prop A, please visit [www.conroeisd.net/bond]www.conroeisd.net/bond.
GIFTED AND TALENTED (GT) REFERRAL WINDOW
You may request a referral form from the front office or the Assistant Principal, Valentina Majeski. You can also find the referral form and other GT information on the CISD GT homepage
TCI FIRST PEP RALLY OF THE YEAR!
TCI Pep Squad!
Thank you GOHS Stomp Team!
GOHS Celebrates helps TCI Celebrate Homecoming Week!
And the Spirit Stick Goes To...
Cheers from the Crowd!
Having Fun!
TCI COUNSELORS!
Bicycle Safety Week
A huge shout out to our wonderful PTO and Student Council for purchasing bike helmets to help keep our Timberwolves safe while riding a bike with family and friends. Also, thank you Ms. Tyner, 6th grade Science and Social Studies TCI teacher, for inviting TREK Bikes and NICA of The Woodlands to encourage our students to wear helmets.
Stocking the Teacher Appreciation Cart
This year we need your help in Stocking the Teacher Appreciation Cart. These items donated will be given to teachers to help support their classroom. If you would like to purchase items for the Teacher Appreciation Cart, please click on the https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1ZYO3FE5YGY0A?ref_=wl_share
Also, thank you to the anonymous Timberwolf family that purchased gift cards for our Teacher Appreciation cart. We really appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness. We love to know the mystery family!
During the week of October 23 - 27th, we will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week and learn the importance of celebrating life and being kind to our mind. Throughout this week, we will be learning how to make positive choices.
Conroe ISD Police Department Coat Drive
We are now collecting new and gently used Coats for Kids. We will be collecting Monday, October 2nd through Wednesday, October 18h. Please drop off any new or gently used coats in the bin by the front door.
Bullying Presentation
Crime Stoppers will be talking with our Timberwolves about bullying, how to handle conflict, and provide steps for resolutions. They will visit with students on Wednesday, October 4th during PE.
POWER OF POLITE!
Our first session of Power of Polite was a huge success. We met with students and discussed the importance of manners, how to make a good first impression, introductions, and the proper way to shake hands.
Our next session is always a favorite and includes how to tie a tie and setting a formal table, as we prep for our annual luncheon.
First Impressions are Important!
Students Learn how to Introduce themselves!
A Firm Handshake!
W.A.T.C.H Dog Dads!
Greetings Timberwolf Parents!!
Welcome to another great year at Tom Cox Intermediate. We are bringing the Watch D.O.G.S. Dad program back and our goal is to make Watch D.O.G.S. even bigger than we have had in the past with more parent volunteers.
The sign-up calendar for this year is finally ready and can be found at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F49AEAD2EA2FD0-44828795-watch. Please take a moment to click the link and find an available day or days this year that you would like to volunteer to be a Watch D.O.G. on our campus.
Just a few important reminders:
Please remember to complete the volunteer background check for this year by, the link to the background check is https://www.conroeisd.net/parents/get-involved/
Even if you were a Watch Dog last year you still need to complete the background check again for this year! If you need help please stop by our front office and someone will assist you with completing the background check.
Once your background check is approved, please sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F49AEAD2EA2FD0-44828795-watch.
5th Grade English Language Arts
We are now wrapping up our fiction book clubs. Students have been doing an awesome job going deeper into their books by thinking interpretively and analytically about their reading. In addition, they have been using this deep thinking to respond and write about their reading.
In writing, students did an amazing job publishing their personal narratives! Through the month of October, students will be starting our nonfiction unit in both reading and writing. Students will be able to read nonfiction for broadening skills such as crafting main ideas and summaries, monitoring for sense, and inferring within the text. They will also get to choose a high interest topic to research. In writing, students will get to write an informational book about a topic they feel that they are an expert at. We are excited to see what they create! Keep up the great work Timberwolves!
5th Grade Math
Advanced math is moving right along! We have completed two units: Whole Number and Decimal Place Value and Multiplying Whole Numbers and Decimals. This month we begin our Division unit.
Our next skill will be dividing decimals by 1- and 2-digit divisors. We will be adding in a sixth-grade skill to divide whole numbers and decimals by decimals. We will continue to estimate solutions and represent and solve equations using a variety of strategies.
In level math: We are currently finish up unit 3: division of whole numbers and decimals. Our next unit will be fractions, composing and decomposing fractions with common denominators a review from 4th grade, adding/subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, identifying numbers as prime or composite numbers, and using models and numbers with fractions.
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5th Grade Science and Social Studies
Science:
Our students are still focusing on how to be scientists! We have been doing many different labs dealing with different physical properties and learning how to record data in our notebooks. Our next focus will be mixtures and solutions, energy, and reflection/refraction of light. We will be taking our first CFA on September 13th.
Social Studies:
In social studies, students will be focusing on early colonies and colonial regions, along with the American Revolution. Our first CFA will be on September 18th.
6th Grade English Language Arts
Our 6th grade ELA classrooms have been working hard and growing as readers and writers. We are finishing novels, writing personal narratives and celebrating our success! In Reading we are wrapping up our Deep Study of Character Unit. We have learned so much about characters, setting and its impact on a story, and the lesson we are to learn from our novels.
In October we are going to dive into nonfiction. This is such an exciting time because students will take on a nonfiction novel, for some a first, and this is a huge accomplishment that we recognize and celebrate. The people and places they will be reading about will inspire. So exciting! In Writing we are just completed our Personal Narrative Unit and celebrated our published authors. We are now Responding to our Reading in fiction and looking at specific moments in a story to really elaborate upon.
In October we will tackle Research Writing. Students will choose a topic and take steps to research that topic using various mediums. Searching for ideas across various texts and developing a plan to create a research paper.
Our 6th Grade ELA here at Tom Cox Intermediate enjoyed our Reading Night! We hope you did as well!
6th Grade Math
In general education math, we will continue working on multiplying and dividing rational numbers where we will continue to practice our operations with fractions. The Unit will wrap up with a test on October 19th. Then we will begin our Integers unit where we will explore negative numbers in the real world.
6th Grade Science and Social Studies
In sixth-grade science we are so excited to begin the second nine weeks of school! We will explore density and motion graphs, energy resources, and thermal energy transfers.
In Social Studies we will study PEGS of the United States and Canada, before exploring cultures and history of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
School Nurse News
Vision and Hearing Screening Referrals - If your student brought home a vision or hearing referral letter, please remember to have it filled out by the healthcare provider and send it back to the clinic as soon as possible. If you need assistance getting to an eye doctor or audiologist, please contact the nurse at msaxe@conroeisd.net.
Scoliosis Screening for 5th Grade girls only will take place in November. More information will be coming home soon.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school nurse at 281-465-3200.
Margaret Saxe RN
October is Fentanyl Awareness Month.
IMPROVING SCHOOL ZONE SAFETY
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
Dismissal will begin at 4:00 PM. Students will be dismissed in the following order:
- Bikers/Walkers
- First round of car-riders/first round of buses
- Remaining car-riders/remaining buses
All students need to be picked up no later than 4:15.
- Bikers/Walkers- We have a large number of students who ride their bike or walk to and from school. If your child will be a biker or walker please encourage them to remain on the sidewalks and watch for pedestrians and vehicles. Bikers will need to dismount from their bikes at the crosswalks and walk them to the other side. Bike racks are located in the front and the side of the school for students to rack their bike.
- Car Riders – Typically, we experience few problems during morning drop off. We experience more challenges during afternoon dismissal. We ask for the parents' cooperation in this area. The safety of our students is our top priority. We do not allow car riders to be picked up at the street, along the curb, or to cross the street in the front of the building during dismissal time. We encourage parents to come through the car rider line. Please pick car riders up no later than 4:15 p.m.
- Bus Riders – The transportation department works hard to ensure that all students are picked-up and dropped off in a safe and timely manner. However, during the first weeks of school, buses often run late. Please be aware that as school gets under way bus schedules will be more accurate. Students are to ride the bus they are assigned. Transportation changes will need to be submitted prior to a student riding a different bus. The phone number for the Oak Ridge Transportation Center is 832-592-8850.
Lunch With Your Child!
Parents are welcome to have lunch with their child in the cafeteria during their student's lunch-time. Due to limited space we ask parents and visitors to sign up for a date and time.
Making a school lunch reservation to eat with your child at school is easy! Parents may visit the Tom Cox Website; cox.conroeisd.net, where they will find a button titled, "Lunch With My Child". One click on the button will lead you to a "sign-up genius". Please sign up for the appropriate date and time. The link will be updated approximately every 3 weeks. See below for guidelines:
Please follow these important guidelines:
- Please note, there is a limit of two adults per student.
- If plans have changed, please cancel your reservation.
- You will be able to wait for your child at the designated parent lunch tables in the Cafeteria.
- You must bring your Driver's License or ID in order to enter the building. No exceptions!
Lunch Schedules
A Lunch 11:20-11:50
B Lunch 11:40-12:10
C Lunch 12:00-12:30
D Lunch 12:21-12:51
Rainy Day/Inclement Weather 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.
Tom Cox Intermediate
Email: contactcox@conroeisd.net
Website: http://cox.conroeisd.net
Location: 333 Waterbend Cove, Spring, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 465-3200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoxCISD
Twitter: @coxTimberwolves