Dear Williams Elementary School Community:

THANKS to our PTA, our Fall Festival Coordinator, Vicki Andrews, our Williams Elementary staff, our volunteer parents and our students for the preparation for the Fall Festival coming up this Saturday.   This will be a wonderful day to spend with our school and community.   I would like to thank everyone in advance for your participation in and contribution to the Fall Festival.   Special THANKS to all of businesses for their donations as well as the individuals who donate money, prizes and time. 

In your child’s EAGLE folder we regularly send out handouts on 40 DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS.  A few weeks ago we sent out a brown booklet, YOUR FAMILY, USING SIMPLE WISDOM IN RAISING YOUR CHILDREN.  This literature highlights the building blocks that children need to increase the likelihood of them growing up healthy, caring and responsible.  Children who have more “assets” are more likely to avoid “high risk” behaviors as they go through middle and high school, and are more likely to succeed in school and LIFE! 

I hope that this information assists parents in providing these assets.  We are very committed at Williams in providing the “school” assets.  It truly takes the school, parents, the neighborhood and the community to raise healthy children. 

As you have already seen, our students have very high academic standards to meet each school year.  Third graders must pass the READING TAKS to be promoted.  Fifth graders are required to pass the READING TAKS and the MATH TAKS to be promoted to middle school.  It is also important that 4^th graders pass their TAKS tests and equally important that our 5^th graders pass the SCIENCE TAKS test. 

In addition to passing the TAKS, all students must meet the academic passing grade requirements each year (70% or higher).  Our goal is for 100% of our students in all grade levels to pass the TAKS tests and pass their academic classes.   At Williams Elementary School, we provide the best instruction along with practice assessments to ensure all students are prepared to meet the rigorous passing requirements.

The TAKS tests are in the spring.

These truly assess the curriculum so it is very important that each child master their grade level material to be successful the next year.  Our school plan is to integrate as much test preparation into the daily schedule so students are prepared and confident when test days arrive!

If your child is struggling, there are many ways to receive extra assistance.  We have early morning tutoring, pull out groups with our Title 1 teachers during the school day, Learning Center availability each morning at 7:15 as well as community tutoring programs (Helping Hands tutoring at neighborhood churches). 

PLEASE call your teacher, Ms. Lang, Mr. Dyer or Mrs. Boccella if your child needs additional help.  We want every child to be successful! 

Additionally, in our desire to serve all students, we offer a variety of “extra” activities in which students may participate including Garden Club, Choir, UIL, Science Fair and 5^th Grade Inspirational Ballroom Dancing.  Our goal is to best serve each and every child at our campus. 

Thanks for sharing your child with us daily!

With PRIDE,

Cheryl Lang
Principal of the BEST School in the WORLD!

LOST AND FOUND is in the cafeteria.  Please LABEL all items! 
 

Please only pick your child up from the office or the car lane at the end of the day.  We cannot dismiss students to parents in the hallways, at the doors or between buildings for SAFETY reasons as many times your child exits with a duty teacher who is not your child’s regular teacher.  We are unable to check identification in these areas.  Please abide by these procedures! 

**We appreciate you NOT picking up your child between 2:30 and 3:00, as this is a difficult time to pull children from classes.

**Also, we ask parents to NOT PARK across the street and walk over to pick their child up as this increases the traffic congestion and the safety procedures.

NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC SAFETY:  Please drive slowly in the neighborhood as many children walk and cross streets.  Also please follow our traffic procedures.   THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO OUR SAFETY PROCEDURES!  

PARENTS AND VISITORS:  Everyone must go to the MAIN OFFICE to sign in prior to meeting with teachers, eating lunch in the cafeteria, meeting their child at recess or any other visiting reason.

PLEASE be prepared to identify yourself to the office staff. 

We have many parents who have last names that are different from their child’s last name and we have many different family situations in which children live with parents, stepparents, grandparents or other family members.  ALL of this becomes very confusing with over 550 families.  Ensuring you have proper identification helps this process greatly.  We will soon transfer over to our RAPTOR system in which every visitor will need identification. 

NOTE:  Both parents have legal equal access to their child’s educational records, conferences with school staff and access to the child UNLESS a court order details something different.  We recognize both parents’ rights unless legal papers are provided to the school.  Also, legally STEP PARENTS have no educational right to a child’s information unless that right is granted in writing by a parent. 

GRADING POLICY:

Please note that at the 3^rd – 5^th grade levels, grades are composed of 60% Assessments/Tests and 40% Homework/Assignments.  Any grade below a 70% is failing.  Students must obtain at least a 70% in their Math, Language Arts, Reading, Social Studies and Science classes to be promoted AS WELL AS PASS THE TAKS TESTS.

IN ADDITION TO THE GISD GRADING POLICY, we enforce the GISD policy concerning FAMILY VACATIONS counting as unexcused absences. 

It is important that families know that absences which are due to family vacations, family trips, hunting trips, trips to Mexico, etc… are recorded as unexcused absences.  The grade for homework/class work that is missed during an unexcused absence will be no higher than a 70 for each assignment that is missed.

Although the school staff and I appreciate the importance of family time, we strongly encourage you to book family activities and vacations during the summer months and school holidays.  Please as always feel free to call if you have questions or concerns.

CALENDAR:

TODAY:  PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME!
FALL FESTIVAL, Saturday, Sept. 29^th   11-4

                       OCTOBER
1st-PARENT Academic Night:
3^rd grade-6:00, 4^th grade-6:30
5^th grade-7:00
4th –18th FUNDRAISER SALES
10th – 3:15 CIP Committee Meetings
15^th-19^th-BOOK FAIR
16th –THIRD GRADE MUSICAL
18^th-FUNDRAISER ends
18^th-4^th and 5^th Musical Field trip
25^th-END OF THE FIRST NINE WEEKS
26th – NO SCHOOL, Parent Conferences 29^th WEEK – RED RIBBON DAYS
31st – HALLOWEEN DRESS UP AND 8:15 PARADE (Non FMNV DAY)

OTHER FALL/WINTER EVENTS:

Nov 1^ST- REPORT CARDS GO HOME
Nov 2^nd-AWARDS ASSEMBLIES
 (4^th-8:30, 3^rd-10:00, 5^th-11:40)
Nov 2^nd-FALL COOKOUT
Nov 9^th-8:15 Veteran’s Day Program
Nov 13th –FUNDRAISER Product pick up
Nov 14th – 4^th Grade Field Trip
Nov 19th – THANKSGIVING dinner
Nov 21^st-23^rd- THANKSGIVING BREAK
Nov 28^th-School picture retakes
Dec 13^th-FIFTH GRADE MUSICAL
Dec 19^th-Winter Break Parties

WINTER BREAK:  Dec 20^th-Jan 2^nd

STUDENTS RETURN TO SCHOOL ON

JANUARY 3^RD, 2008