Epps Island Newsletter
January 2023
Hello Tiger Families
Tigers, I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU to all our Epps Island Families who joined us in our Christmas Parties in December. Please click here to provide Feedback for future events.
Thank you!
Trena Grice
Principal
Counseling Corner
Social Emotional Learning: Social emotional learning is a fundamental aspect of our comprehensive school counseling program. What is social emotional learning? SEL (social emotional learning) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. As a campus, our guidance lessons and SEL time embedded into the school day help our students to be able to strengthen each of the SEL competency areas seen below. As a parent, think about how you can help develop these skills with your child at home. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Create a daily emotional check-in routine to determine how your child is feeling.
- Encourage your child to use “I feel _____ when you _______” statements to describe how they are feeling.
- Create gratitude lists with your child to help them focus on the positive things in life.
- Encourage your child to journal when they are feeling strong positive or negative emotions.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is a school-wide system of support that creates a positive school culture. It includes evidence-based prevention & intervention practices that supports the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral competence of all students. Our core values (TIGERS Traits) are part of PBIS and define who we are as a campus and our schoolwide expectations. Review with your child each of the traits below and discuss what it looks like to model these values at home. Each of the locations on our campus, such as the cafeteria, playground, and hallway, reinforces these TIGERS Traits. Please see our classroom expectations and review these with your child during the month of January.
Tiger Traits
Message from our PE Teachers
The Physical Education Department is pleased to announce that we are kicking off our Kids Heart Challenge this week.
This is when we raise money for the American Heart Association. All students will see a video and take home a flier for donations. Students will receive “Thank You” gifts for donations with the top donors attending a pizza party and extra bouncy house time on Field Day. Students will receive a “Thank You” gift for donations of $1.00 or higher. All money raised will be donated to the American Heart Association. Our goal is $1,200.00. Last year we raised $1,100.00. We will be working on Long Jump Ropes and Short Jump Ropes as well as learning about the different body systems.
Our last day for donations will be February 3rd.
Thank you,
Tess
Thank you!
P.E. Teachers
Message from Clinic Office
Hello Epps Island Families!
Hi! My name is Meredith Shama. I am so excited to be the new school nurse at Epps Island Elementary! I was born and raised right here in Houston! I have been a nurse for 8 years and started out in the Texas Medical Center. I have one year old twin boys, Raymond & Michael, and a dog named Friday who keep me very busy when I am not at work. I love the outdoors and try to find any reason to be outside and be active. I love working with kids and am very much looking forward to meeting all our Tigers! If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me at the following information below.
Thank you,
Meredith Shama
832-484-5747
Spanish Speaker Mrs. Ro-Clinic Assistant @ 832-484-5758
School Store
Upcoming Events
Saturday, January 21, 2023- "The Power of Choice Expo" @Klein Mulitpurpose Center, 9am-12pm
Wednesday, January 25, 2023- 3rd-5th Parent Lunches
Monday, January 23rd-Friday, January 27th-"Great Kindness Challenge"(Dress up schedule below)
- Monday, January 23, 2023- Kindness is MARVELOUS! "Wear your favorite Marvel hero shirt"!
- Tuesday, January 24, 2023- Kindness travels with me! " Wear a vacation outfit-hawaiian shirt, lei, sunglasses, sunhat, etc.
- Wednesday, January 25, 2023- " We are wacky the kindness"! Wear mismatched clothing and/or wacky hair"!
- Thursday, January 26, 2023- "Tigers team up for kindness"! Wear your favorite team jersey/shirt!
- Friday, January 27, 2023- " Kindness never goes out of style" Dress up as your favorite decade! 60s, 70s, 80s, etc.
Thursday, January 26, 2023- Class Group Pictures and Spring Individual Pictures
Tuesday, January 31, 2023- Fourth Grade Field Trip to Wunderlich Farms
Thursday, February 2, 2023- Coffee with the Counselor from 4:00p.m.-5:00p.m.
Thursday, February 9, 2023- Sneaker Ball from 5:00p.m.-6:30p.m.
The Power of Choice Expo
Saturday, January 21, 2023 at Klein Multipurpose Center
Great Kindness Challenge
Monday, January 23-Friday, January 27
Sneaker Ball
Thursday, February 9, 2023 from 5:00p.m-6:30p.m.
School Visitors
Visitors should ring the doorbell located at the front door of the school in order to notify the front office staff of your arrival.
Visitors will be asked to present their IDs to the camera before entering the building.
Once inside, the front office secretaries will follow check-in procedures and issue a visitors' badge.
Students will not be released to visitors unless the adult is identified in Skyward as someone who has the authority to do so and without a photo ID. Thank you for understanding and for helping us to keep our Tigers safe.
Parent Lunches
Parents may drop off lunch for students. However, please let your child know ahead of time so they know that they need to stop by the office and pick it up. Our secretaries are not allowed to leave the main office to drop off lunches.
We will also once again have parents join their children for lunch. Due to our growing numbers and to continue to be as safe as possible, we are scheduling parents of K-2nd grade students every second Wednesday of every month starting in October. Students in grades 3-5 every 4th Wednesday of the month starting in October.
Parents joining us for lunch must follow these rules:
- Parents please make sure that if you need to contact your child's teacher you set up an appointment via email/remind. Unfortunately due to their Schedule they have to follow they are not able to have a Conference during Lunch time.
- Parents can not interact with students other than their own children
- Parents and their child must sit in the white tables on the stage during lunch, separate from the other students
- Please do not bring food for other students
- If you have children in different grade levels and you want to wait for their lunch time, you must wait in the front office to free up space on the stage for the parents who are there to have lunch with their children at that time
- Please make sure that you bring a form of identification in order to come eat with your child. (Passport, ID, Driver's license)
STUDENT DROP OFF AND & PICK-UP PROCEDURES
By car- please drop off by cafeteria. Helpers will open door for younger students.
Only cars with special tags can enter front parking lot to drop off students by the back/side doors.
Parents can park on the curb and have students use walkway to cross the street
Busses- enter front parking lot, unload students by back/side doors
For our students' safety, please do not enter the front/staff parking lot as this is a high traffic area with students walking across the parking lot and busses unloading.
PICK UP Areas & Procedures
Car Riders- are picked up by the cafeteria. Please arrive by 3:50. Parents without a car tag must wait until the end of car pool and pick up their child in the front office. Students will not be released to an adult without a car tag. Parents can not "walk up" to the car pool area to avoid the line and pick up their child.
Gym Walkers- parents must show a tag number to pick up their child
Front Door Walkers-this area is for students who are old enough to walk home alone. Students too young to walk alone, must be gym walkers. Older siblings must accompany primary students as they exit the front doors. Please encourage our little cubs to walk with their older siblings. Safety is our priority!
Bus Riders- Load busses by the white awning
The end of the day is very busy for all school personnel as we prepare for dismissal. Therefore, requesting a change of transportation or early dismissal should occur prior to 2:30.
Please DO NOT block any of the entrances/exits or parked vehicles during dismissal. Your cooperation is kindly appreciated.
ARRIVING ON TIME
Announcements are at 8:10
Tardy bell rings at 8:10
ATTENDANCE MATTERS...EVERYDAY
Attendance Matters for EVERY Student-please make sure that our TIGERS are here daily ready to learn!
Attendance Procedures
Regular school attendance is essential for a student to make the most of his or her education—to benefit from teacher-led and school activities, to build each day’s learning on the previous day’s, and to grow as an individual. Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s mastery of the instructional materials; therefore, please make every effort to avoid unnecessary absences.
Any student who is absent for the whole day is required to produce one of the following within 5 days of their absence(s):
· Parent Note
· Parent email (within 5 days of absence)
· Original medical note (copies or altered notes will not be accepted)
· Faxed notes must be sent from physician’s office
· Court note
· Official note for observance of approved religious holy days
***If a student is absent for part of the day for a doctor appointment, their absence will be temporary absence if the student returns the doctor excuse to the Attendance Office upon returning to school, the temporary absence will be removed.
If a student does not produce one of the items listed above within the allotted timeframe, that absence will be considered unexcused and counted toward their total semester absences.
Klein ISD takes attendance very seriously, and we want to see your child succeed at Epps Island. If you have any questions regarding attendance, please feel free to contact the grade level Assistant Principal.
Parent-Teacher Conference
If you would like to schedule a Parent-Teacher Conference with your child's teacher during their conference period time please contact them via email/remind.
Conference times are as follows:
Kinder- Tuesday-Friday from 1:05p.m-1:50p.m
First- Monday-Wednesday, and Friday from 8:50a.m-9:35a.m.
Second- Monday-9:35a.m.-10:20a.m.
Third- Monday and Thursday(Math)-11:05a.m-11:50a.m.; Monday, Wednesday, Friday(ELAR)-11:05A.M.-11:50A.M.
Fourth-Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday-11:50a.m.-12:35p.m.
Fifth- Monday-Wednesday, and Friday from 8:05a.m.-8:50a.m
Family Engagement
- We invite you to review the District Plan for Family Engagement 2022-2023. Please click here to view.
- We invite you to visit the Klein ISD Family Wellness YouTube Channel, here. This channel features a series of videos for families addressing topics such as parenting, mental health, and wellness.
- We invite you to visit our Epps Island's own " Virtual Family Center" created by our wonderful Family-School Liaison, Mrs. Flores. Click HERE for video instructions.
- We will also be offering "Mango" English Classes- Please contact Mrs. Flores at 832-484-5798 for more information.
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