To receive future Puster Principal Message emails or
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PES Principal Message 9/1/22 |
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Puster Families,
It's finally Ice Cream Social Night! It also looks like rain is on the way but the fun is still on. We will move indoors into the gym/cafeteria if we aren't able to head outside. We have split the event by alpha to help with parking. Of course, you may attend either half to suit your evening schedule.
A-M 5:00-6:00
N-Z 6:00-7:00
If we don't get to see you tonight, our PTO has many more fun opportunities for us planned ahead. It's already September and Fall Family Fun Night is just around the corner!
Have a wonderful evening and a wonderful weekend!
Puster Proud,
Holly
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@pusterlearners
#PES
#PusterProud
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Click here to tell us about a PES staff member who has gone Above and Beyond!
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School Start Time: 7:55
School Doors Open: 7:30
Dismissal: 3:10
September
5 - Holiday/No School
6 - Teacher Work Day/No School
19-23 - PES Fall Book Fair
29 - Fall Picture Day
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I recently sent out a sign-up to assist with lunch/recess duties to those who indicated a willingness to volunteer in these areas on our PTO volunteer form (linked below). I've learned there may be others interested in helping as well! We still have a few gaps to fill, so thank you in advance for your help! This coverage will allow our teachers additional planning time specific to our Leopard Time intervention and enrichment opportunities.
I will host recess duty trainings on 9/9 and 9/16 at 9:00 a.m. in the Puster Cafe. Lunch duty trainings will take place on 9/9 and 9/16 at 9:45 in the Puster Cafe.
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At Puster, we know EVERY staff member goes above and beyond, though we may not always hear about it. Who are our unsung heroes? Has a Puster teacher or staff member gone above and beyond for your child/family? We want to hear about it! Parents, community members, staff members and students are invited to share. |
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Grace Silva, First Grade Teacher
As a new teacher, fresh out of Texas Tech, Grace has hit the ground running and is on her way to be an amazing educator! She takes initiative, asks questions, and seeks feedback to help her as she begins her journey as a teacher! She even made us all a super cute back to school treat for the first Friday of school, and we all know how tired we are that first week of school! Way to go GRACE!
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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 22nd, 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. Please note that this is the same system that we used last year, but you must update it for this school year.
The easy-to-use mobile and desktop interface will allow you to make these changes in advance or for the current day. At Puster, 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 15th.
We have entered your child's default dismissal based on the information you provided at Meet the Teacher. Please double-check your child's default for accuracy. Our teachers are trained to ALWAYS go by what is indicated on SDM for dismissal. You must enter an exception if your child will be going home a different way than what is listed as default.
Thank you for using this tool to help us keep the dismissal process safe and orderly for all our students. Every parent must go in and set your child's default! Please contact Manuel Gonzalez at manuel_gonzalez@lovejoyisd.net if you have any questions.
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Happy Thursday, Leopard families. It has been a great second week at Puster. I had the opportunity to meet with all 60 Safety Crew members this week. Parents, you will begin to see our fourth grade Safety Crew members in both the morning and afternoon car lines. They have been trained on ways to greet families and how to assist with doors. We are working on our leadership skills, and they are super excited to start in their new roles. I am thankful for their commitment to the Safety Crew program and to the parents for getting them here in the mornings and picking them up in the afternoons to help with a very important job. For those fourth graders who missed the opportunity to sign up, there will be a second opportunity to volunteer for the second semester.
For students who are new to Texas or a new kindergarten student and a language other than English is indicated on the Home Language Survey, I am required by the state of Texas to administer a language proficiency test. For kindergarten students, this is like a game where I am learning about their vocabulary and pre literacy skills. For first through fourth graders, this is on online assessment that assesses proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. The results of this assessment will let us know how students are progressing towards proficiency of the English Language.
If you ever have questions, please reach out to me. I am happy to visit with you.
Puster really is the “Place to Be”.
Mrs. George
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Mrs. Haynes, Mrs. George, and I had such an amazing time getting to know all our new Puster students during Lunch Bunch this week. It was a great opportunity to connect and hear about their experiences so far at Puster. We have decided to continue Lunch Bunch throughout the year but include all Puster students. Once a month, each grade level team will choose 8 students to participate in Lunch Bunch. We are looking forward to making deeper connections with all students and making this the best year yet at Puster - where kids always come first!
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Library Corner
STEM, Stories and More with Mrs. Stewart
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Hello Puster Elementary community,
This has been such a wonderful beginning to our library school year. I loved getting to hear all about students growing as readers this summer, having connections and sharing the joy of reading with students. It is going to be such a great year.
Library: We are starting the year off by reviewing library procedures and expectations, and how to take care of our books.
We discuss what a library is, what types of books we have, and how to choose a good fit book. We review that there is a book in the library for everyone, but not every book will be right for you. Part of our job as a reader is to find books (with my help!) that we will like, and help us grow as a reader.
We are continuing to review expectations for Makerspace where we practice creativity, Critical thinking, collaboration & communication with engineering, creation station, lego wall, coding, challenges and more.
STEM: We are reading The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi and designing creating stamps with wikisticks that represent ourselves. We test by stamping our design into playdoh(when they realize they have to design it backwards we really get to practice the improve stage of our design process. Students can also create a crayon rubbing of their design.
What's Coming up in the library?
Fall Book Fair is September 19-23
Volunteer sign up coming soon!
Happy reading,
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Safety Second with Officer Emory |
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Hello Puster Families!
I hope all of you have had a stress free beginning of the year. If I haven’t gotten to meet you yet, my name is Steven Emory and I am the School Marshal at Puster Elementary. Below I have some important Safety and Security information. Please make sure you read through all of the sections and let me know
if you have any questions!
This Month's Drills:
1. Dates to Know
a. 9/12/2022 - Fire Drill.
2. We conducted a lockdown practice on 8/24/2022 in the cafeteria where we discussed what to do if a lockdown occurs during lunch.During this practice students learned:
■ Their job is to STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to an adult for instruction.
■ Where to go during a lockdown in the event one occurs during lunch or while they
are in the cafeteria.
■ What to do if they see an adult at one of the PES exterior doors as well as the
importance of these procedures, whether they see a staff member or stranger at
the exterior door. As a part of this portion of the practice students also learned that
they should not open doors for anyone as well as the fact they need to find an adult
if someone is attempting to enter the building.
Parent Reminders:
● When you are at the school and need into the building, you should go to the front office and check in. At no time should you try and get a student or staff member to open the door. This counts even if it is your child.
● When visiting the school, you should always check in at the front office to receive a lanyard and name badge that will have your destination. The destination on your badge is very important. For example, you should not be in the library with a badge with a destination specifying the cafeteria.
● Please test your child regarding our Safety and Security policies as follows:
○ What is the first thing they should do in an emergency?
■ Answer: STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN.
○ Where do they go if a lockdown is called in the cafeteria?
■ Answer: Music classroom and kitchen .
○ Who can you let into the school?
■ Answer: No one, no matter what.
Thank you for helping us keep Puster the safest place for kids!
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Attention 3rd & 4th Graders! |
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3rd and 4th Graders, it's time to start thinking of and preparing for Puster’s Talent Show! This year we are excited to showcase our 3rd and 4th grade students' talents on Thursday, October 6! All information can be found on our website tinyurl.com/PESmusic. Talent Show registration will be completed online. Please click HERE to access the Talent Show rules and guidelines, and to access the online registration form.
Registration must be completed by Friday, September 9th. Auditions will be held after school on Wednesday, September 21th and Thursday, September 22nd. Music performance tracks may be emailed to Brooke Grall or submitted to this Shared Google Drive. Please note, school facilities (classrooms, gym, stage, etc.) will not be available for Talent Show practice. All practices and rehearsals must be held off campus.
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Important Change in 2022-2023 School Lunch Program
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) waiver that allowed Lovejoy ISD to offer free meals to all students at our schools (K-6) who participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has expired. Congress did not fund the waiver program for the 2022-2023 school year. The elementary paid lunch price will be $3.50.
Due to this change in federal policy, Lovejoy ISD families will return to submitting an application to qualify for free/reduced-priced lunches.To qualify for free/reduced-priced lunch, households are encouraged to complete the 2022-2023 Meal Application.
Submitting an application can do more than just provide access to free and reduced-price meals. Some of the additional benefits may include:
Funding for state and federal programs and services for our schools
Discounted rates on internet services
Free or reduced registration fees for AP, SAT, and/or ACT test
Discounted rates associated with college applications
Free or discounted fees to participate school activities
Click here to learn more about student nutrition and set up your child's lunch account.
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Absences and Dismissal Changes
If your student will be ABSENT, please email Renee Grebe at renee_grebe@lovejoyisd.net. We need the email as documentation for our records.
If you have a DISMISSAL CHANGE for your student and either cannot access School Dismissal Manager or it is after 2:00, please email Manny Gonzalez at manuel_gonzalez@lovejoyisd.net.
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IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE REMINDERS & UPDATES
All families should have received their campus’ Beginning of Year Truancy Letter, via Bright Arrow. We felt that it was important to follow up with additional information.
In addition to the Compulsory Attendance Law that was addressed in the letter, there is also the 90% law; state law mandates that a student is in attendance at least 90 percent of the academic year.
In order to receive credit for a final grade in a class, a student is required to attend 90% of the days a class is offered, regardless of whether the student’s absences are excused or unexcused.
All absences count towards the 90% law and Truancy, except for the following absences with the proper documentation:
- Religious Holidays with written request prior to the absence
- Attending a required court appearance
- UIL eligible absences- Educational Competition administered by school staff
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Academic, Athletic, and music contests (uiltexas.org)
- Medical-Related absences, when the student attended a portion of the school day and presents documentation from the health care professional for the same day
- All day Medical-Related absences do NOT exempt a student from the 90% law or Truancy. Medical Documentation for a full day absence is only used in consideration by the Attendance Committee)
- Sounding “Taps” at a military honors funeral held in Texas
Attendance notes for an absence must be submitted to our PEIMS Coordinator, Renee Grebe (renee_grebe@lovejoyisd.net), no later than 5 school days after the absence. Notes will NOT be accepted after the 5th day, and your student’s attendance will not be changed.
Absence notification timeline, all absences are counted, (excused and unexcused):
- A letter will be sent home if your student is absent 3 times in a 4 week period
- Another letter will be sent home once the student has accrued 6 absences
- Intervention will begin with the campus attendance committee
- A 10 day letter will be sent home once the student accrues 10 absences
- Your student can be referred to Truancy Court
Although we know that students will get sick or other challenges may arise during the school year, consistent and timely school attendance is of the utmost importance. We all share the goal of enabling the students to reach their full potential and achieve all of their educational goals. The way to allow a student to reach their full potential and educational goals starts with consistent and timely attendance.
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PowerSchool: Update Enrollment & Student Forms
It's time to update paperwork in PowerSchool!
Click Here to log in to PowerSchool. Once you are logged in, scroll down on the left side to "Enrollment & Student Forms" to complete.
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We love our Puster Volunteers! There will be many opportunities throughout the year to join us on campus and lend a helping hand. We really couldn't do it without you! If you are interested in volunteering on campus, please complete the yearly required Volunteer Application.
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Birthday Treats: Birthday treats may be purchased from our student nutrition department. This not only benefits student nutrition but also helps us ensure the safety of our students with allergies and dietary needs. Please notify your child's teacher that you have ordered birthday treats so we do not have two birthdays celebrated on the same day. In order to minimalize disruption of instruction, we ask that birthday treats/celebrations are for students and their classmates (no parent visitors).
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Calling all Puster students, staff, and families!! We want all of you to be members of Puster Elementary PTO! Click above to join our Puster PTO. Your no membership fees go directly back to our Puster students and staff. There are no obligations tied to membership. Thank you for your support!
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FAQ:
What is Leopard Drive?
Leopard Drive is our annual fundraiser that allows the PTO to fund great programs and events all year long and to show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate them through numerous staff celebration events. All donations stay here at Puster
I am at multiple schools and see each school has a Leopard Drive, what's the difference?
Each school has their own Leopard drive. When you donate to a specific school, the money stays at the school and helps to fund their events. Puster does not have any other type of fundraiser ie. no selling cookies, etc.
Do I have to volunteer if I join the PTO?
No, volunteering is completely optional. PTO membership allows us to provide amazing programs and events throughout the school year that benefits every student. 100% of member dues stay at Puster Elementary. If you are looking to get more involved, the PTO has several opportunities such as helping with events, teacher appreciation, Thanksgiving pies etc. Please feel free to contact anyone in the PTO and we will be happy to help.
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LAST call for your 1st day of school pictures! Please also send Ice Cream Social pictures to pusteryb@gmail.com by September 30.
If you have interest in helping create Puster's yearbook, please email PusterYB@gmail.com.
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Puster Dads Club
Thank you so much for choosing to come spend the day with your child(ren) at Puster Elementary! Having dads on campus not only brings joy to the kiddos, but brings comfort to our amazing staff as well. We would love for you to sign up for as many slots as you can swing! And know that while there may be a time during the school day that being in the classroom is tricky or support is just really needed elsewhere, our goal this year is to keep you with your son or daughter as much as possible. Please remember that you have to complete a background check (every year) in order to volunteer! This can take a few days, so keep that in mind when signing up. If you have not been approved by the district on the morning you arrive, you unfortunately will not be allowed to stay. Here is the link one more time:
A few other housekeeping items to keep things running smoothly:
- Only two dads per day
- Only one dad per class
- Please do not sign up less than 48 hours before your date
- Please do not cancel less than 24 hours before your date
All student holidays and dates that visitors are not allowed on campus (like STAAR testing) have been removed, but the bad weather days remain for now. If you happen to sign up for 2/20 or 4/10 then just keep in mind that they could go away. Please feel free to email kellieannedercks@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. Thank you again for giving of your time! We can't wait to start seeing our dads on campus next week!!
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Puster Parent Contact Information |
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Would you like to receive information about Teacher Birthday, Classroom Parties, Classroom Volunteer needs, etc.? Please sign up here to ensure your email is on the list!
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Field day shirts are used for grade level field trips, field day and more! Order your shirt for 22-23 now! |
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Every month each grade level is chosen to help stock the lounge for our wonderful teachers and staff. This year we are starting out with 4th grade, encouraging families to sign up on the link provided. The 4th grade families will be taking on the month of August and September. I know Puster Elementary Staff are so appreciative of your generosity and contributions! |
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After-School Opportunities |
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Dear Lovejoy Community,
The magic of Friday Night Lights is upon us. The first football game of the year will be this Saturday night as our Leopards take on College Station High School in the Tom Landry Classic at Allen’s Eagle Stadium. Tickets are still available at www.lovejoyleopards.net . As exciting as the game is, the pageantry of a Friday night football game is special because so many of our students get to be involved. Whether it is the band marching at halftime, the cheerleaders getting the crowd on their feet, or the student trainers ensuring the safety of our players, the event is more special when more students are involved.
Here are a few reminders as we kick off our first home game of the season on September 2 against the Argyle Eagles:
Ticketing
Tickets will be available for purchase during the week of the game at www.Lovejoyleopards.net
To expedite admission into the stadium, please download your ticket to your phone prior to arriving so our ticket takers can quickly scan your ticket
Parking
Parking will be at a premium this year as we expect very large crowds. Arrive early in order to park in the stadium parking lot
Be patient as our parking lot attendants help you find available parking spaces
Overflow parking will be available at Willow Springs Middle School, Hart Elementary School, and Grace Church (just east of LHS on Estates Pkwy)
Shuttle buses will be constantly moving between each sight and the stadium throughout the night
WANT TO RESERVE A PARKING SPOT FOR THE SEASON? WE HAVE 42 PARKING SPACES UP FOR AUCTION HERE! THESE ARE THE BEST SPACES IN THE PARKING LOT! AUCTION ENDS ON SEPTEMBER 28 at 10:00 PM!!!
Concessions
We are happy to announce that Chick Fil A will be served at our concession area for all home games this season
Seating
Section A: Middle School Student/General Admission
Section B: General Admission
Sections C-G: Season Ticket Holders
Section H: LHS Student Section
Section I: Band Section
General Information
There will be designated high school and middle school student seating. All students 6th grade and younger will be expected to be seated with their parents
The stadium gates open at 6:00 PM
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The Council of PTOs would like to invite all “new to Lovejoy” moms (grades 1st – 12th) to our welcome coffee on September 13th.
Please RSVP and let us know that you are coming. We can’t wait to meet you!
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