August 20, 2021
Dear Hart Families,

Wow! We almost have the first week of school under our belts. Our students have been working hard making connections, learning procedures, and getting back into the routine of school. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend some time with our students, and it was definitely the highlight of my week. I look forward to getting into the remaining classrooms next week.

I want to thank you for extending us grace this first week as we worked out the kinks to our arrival and dismissal process. I hope that you agree that each day gets a little better. I know that some are wondering why I changed the arrival and dismissal system. During the summer, I was tasked with developing a different system that accomplished these four goals.
  • A safe environment for ALL that accommodates the additional students.
  • Buses must be able to drop off curbside.
  • A safe handoff between parents and students.
  • Maximize the number of cars on Hart property.

Through collaboration and feedback, we developed the plan that we have been implementing. After seeing the plan in action, we realize that there is a better way to accomplish the goals that were set out for Hart Elementary. Please know that this is not about “Wendy Craft putting her stamp on it.” This is truly about trying to deliver our community with an enjoyable arrival and dismissal process that is efficient and safe for ALL. Therefore on Monday, we will begin a new arrival and dismissal procedure. Please see the map below for details. The good news is that we will have one system with the exception for dismissal, we are adding park and pick up. This new system allows us to get more cars off of Country Club.  

In order for us to maximize efficiency, please do the following things:
  • Have your child on the passenger side of your car.
  • Do NOT get out of your car for arrival or dismissal.
  • Pull all the way forward
  • Please do not get out of line to pass cars
  • For arrival, please do NOT park and walk your child in. We need all parents to go through the carline.  

Please know that it might take a little longer on Monday and Tuesday while we are all learning the system, but we ultimately feel that this will decrease the amount of time that you are in line each day.

I appreciate everyone who emailed me this week with suggestions. They have been helpful, and we have implemented some of them. I hope that your family has a happy and safe weekend.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me.  

All My Best,
Wendy Craft
Wendy_craft@lovejoyisd.net
214-551-4503 (cell)
469-742-8077 (office)
My mission is to be a servant leader who works with students, parents, and staff to build a community that fosters relationships and learning where everyone THRIVES. Each day, I strive to make the choice to be great versus comfortable, because you can't be both!
HES Information
Updated Arrival and Dismissal procedures effective Monday, August 23rd
Important! If you have used SDM previously, you will need to uninstall the app and reinstall using this link. All parents will download the new SDM app from this link.

Hart Families,

Welcome to School Dismissal Manager! Using School Dismissal Manager with your desktop or smartphone browser, you can quickly and easily update instructions when your child's dismissal needs to be changed. School Dismissal Manager notifies the school of your updates so that, effective August 23rd, it is no longer necessary for you to phone the school, send notes, or send an email to inform the school of dismissal changes. School Dismissal Manager will provide us with a more organized and efficient tracking system for afternoon dismissals.

The easy-to-use mobile and desktop interface will allow you to make these changes in advance or for the current day. At Hart, we want you to utilize School Dismissal Manager to indicate a change in your child's default dismissal plan and to let us know if you are checking your child out early. Free apps are also available for Android and iPhone users.

To login, you will be issued a username and temporary password through an email from School Dismissal Manager. You should receive your email by Monday, August 16th.

Thank you for using this tool to help us keep the dismissal process safe and orderly for all our students. Please contact Janean Mancini (janean_mancini@lovejoyisd.net) if you have any questions or concerns.
How do I put money on my child's lunch account?
If you would like to put money on your child's account for "extras," please choose one of the following ways.
  • Put money (cash or check) in a sealed envelope with your child's first and last name and homeroom teacher on it. Send it to school with your child, and they can deliver it to the cafeteria.
  • Visit MySchoolBucks by clicking here and put money on your child's account electronically.
Can I bring birthday treats to school for my child?

Yes, you can purchase birthday treats for your child through Student Nutrition. Please note that we are only allowing birthday treats from the LISD Student Nutrition department. Thanks in advance for understanding. Please click here to order your child's birthday treats today! Please email your child's teacher to inform them that you ordered treats so that we do not have 2 students celebrating birthdays on the same day.
Can I bring my child lunch from a restaurant?
Yes! You will just need to place the food on the table with your child's name on it in our front office foyer.
Health & Safety Measures

The 2021-2022 Health and Safety Measures are now live on the district’s website. You may find them in two locations:

For additional information on practices at the elementary school, please click the white button below.
PowerSchool - Enrollment Forms
 The back-to-school enrollment forms for the 2021 - 2022 school year are ready for parents to update! You will access the enrollment forms in your PowerSchool Parent Portal - left navigation panel - "Enrollment & Student Forms." Please complete and update each form in that section of PowerSchool. If you have any questions or trouble accessing PowerSchool, please contact Alis Brantl at alis_brantl@lovejoyisd.net.
PTO News
Membership
Calling all Hart students, staff, and families!! We want all of you to be members of Hart Elementary PTO! Every dollar goes towards staff appreciation, student activities, programming, cultural arts, etc. Thank you in advance for your support! 

Join by scanning the QR code or by visiting our website: ptohes.membershiptoolkit.com

Leopard Drive
Help support our staff and students here at Hart by participating in our annual Leopard Drive. No amount is too big or too small! All of your dollars stay at HART!
Funds collected will be put towards:
  • Student Enrichment Programs
  • Dad Programs
  • Family Fun Night
  • Author Visits
  • ArtSparks
  • Art Contests
  • Staff Luncheons
  • Teacher Appreciation
  • Environmental Programs
  • Red Ribbon Week
  • Field Day
  • Spiritwear
  • Science Night
  • Leopard Friday
  • Ice Scream Social
  • Donuts/Muffins with Parents
  • Newsletters
  • Senior Scholarship
Head on over to our homepage and click Donate Now!! 

Volunteer Opportunities
Hart Elementary is Parent Powered! Giving the gift of time is a wonderful and selfless thing. We are always looking for volunteers! Please stop by our homepage and click the Volunteer tab to read about the current opportunities available! 

Dads @ Hart
We had a great turnout at Meet the Teacher night. Thank you to those that have volunteered! There are still slots available if you did not get a chance to sign up. Please follow our sign-up instructions found here: Dads @ Hart Form Instructions. The Dads@Hart program offers an opportunity to spend 1 day in your child’s classroom and assist in other activities on campus.

Please email Brian Butler, dadsathart@gmail.com with any questions about the program.

Hospitality
The Hart PTO Hospitality team would like to thank Kidz Therapy Zone for sponsoring our "Nacho Average Nacho Bar" for our Welcome Back Luncheon for our HES Staff.

Additionally, we would like to thank our local Starbucks for providing coffee and our PTO board for providing food for the first day of school, Tears and Cheers.

We have some fun things planned for our HES Staff this year!! If you are interested in helping specifically with hospitality please sign up on the PTO website under the Volunteer tab.

Spiritwear
The Hart Spirit Store will be up and running all year long! Head on over to the online shop and get yourself some awesome Spiritwear! We can't wait to see everyone wearing their Leopard swag. All purchases will go to help provide student activities and enrichment throughout this school year. 
Explore the excitement of engineering! Students grades K-1 will use the Engineering Design Process to explore the fields of Junior Aerospace and Junior Industrial Engineering sparking a passion for creation and tinkering. (Grades K-1 Only) Classes are offered at Hart Elementary on Fridays from 3:15 - 4:15pm in the Leopard Lair.
Explore the excitement of engineering! Students grades 2-4 will use the Engineering Design Process to explore the fields of Aeronautical and Industrial Engineering sparking a passion for creation and tinkering. (Grades 2-4 Only)
Classes are offered at Hart Elementary on Mondays from 3:15 - 4:30pm in the Leopard Lair.
Each class is for 1 hour and most days kids take home amazing projects!

To pay by zelle/venmo call 972.333.8841 for details. For registration questions or concerns, please email dallasmetro@engineeringforkids.net or contact Seema at 972.333.8441.

Classes for online enrollment will open on August 30th.
August
20th - Dennis Lee Assembly @ 1:45 (POSTPONED)
23rd - LISD School Board Meeting; 7:00pm

September
6th - School Holiday
7th - School Holiday (Staff Development Day)
14th - Grandparents Day (A-M)
15th - Grandparents Day (N-Z)
Helpful Resources

It's time to update paperwork in PowerSchool! Click the link above to log in. Scroll down on the left side to "Enrollment & Student Forms" to complete.
If you would like to update your district/campus email preferences or change your email address, please click on the Update Profile link at the footer of this email. You will receive an email from Constant Contact which will allow you to update your information and campuses. 
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