Farney ES WatchD.O.G.S.

Recently, Board member Bob Covey visited Farney ES. While there, he was able to spend time with several teachers and students, including (L-R) kindergarten students Brooklyn Swiger and NanaAdjoa Donkor. Covey was also able to chat with WatchD.O.G.S. dad Adam Pasicznyk, a parent volunteer. 

WatchD.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is a program that promotes increased paternal involvement at campuses.

Father-Daughter Dance

Holbrook ES held its second annual father-daughter dance on Feb. 6. Nearly 300 girls attended the Valentine’s Day-themed event, accompanied by fathers, grandfathers, uncles and older brothers. This was an increase of almost 100 student participants from the previous year.

Bedtime Story Night

Lowery ES recently hosted Bedtime Story Night, an annual event for Kindergarten and first-grade students and their families. During the event, parents had the opportunity to observe their child’s teacher modeling a Read To, with an opportunity to ask questions. Parents were then encouraged to have one-on-one time reading a story with their child.

"Reading improves with practice," said Lowery ES principal Brenda Trial, "Our kids read Just Right books everyday in the classrooms, and reading at home, for 15 to 30 minutes, helps to build this very important skill."

Storyook Theatre visits Jowell ES

The Storybook Theatre of Texas performing group culminated its winter season with a performance of “Two Pigs and T.H.E. Wolf” at Jowell ES in December, featuring a holiday connotation.

“The teachers and students of all grade levels were completely mesmerized with the colorful costumes, props and wonderful actors,” said Alpha Cruz-Lopez, Jowell librarian and technology liaison.

Storybook Theatre was founded in 1991 and continues to tour with their blend of theater arts and storytelling designed to promote literacy among youth. The troupe completed a touring performance invitation via China Cultural and International Tours, Inc., in the fall, performing in eight cities including Beijing at the 4th Annual China Children’s Festival. 

“This troupe is sensational, always promoting that reading can be fun and exciting,” Cruz-Lopez said. “The students and staff really enjoyed this performance and were in for an exciting treat!”

Dean MS Leadership Forum

Dean MS held its inaugural Mustang Men Leadership Forum during the first semester. Students and parents met with two dynamic speakers for five Thursdays with a culminating exercise on the last day of the forum.

"The purpose of the forum was to equip our students and parents with principles and tools to maximize the leadership potential in each of our students," said Dean principal Chris Hecker. 

Bang ES Basketball League

Bang ES has started the third year of its basketball league program (BBL). The program, spearheaded by Bang behavior specialist Rodney Garcia, was designed as an outlet for at-risk students who may have never participated in organized sports. Practices and games are staffed entirely by volunteers.

Many other sports programs for elementary-age children typically cost more than $100. Participants in the BBL pay only $15 to cover the cost of a uniform. Bang ES staff members can donate money to the program and, in return, earn jean passes or raffle tickets. Additionally, BBL team members spend time giving back to the community by holding fundraisers, such as car washes. The money from staff donations and fundraisers goes toward game snacks and to purchase uniforms for students who cannot afford the entry fee.

Games are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, November through February. A complete schedule can be found on the district website. Games are open to the community at no charge. For more information, contact Rodney Garcia at 281-517-2983. You can also follow the BBL's Twitter feed, @BangBasketball.

Participation in the BBL program is used as an incentive for maintaining good grades and behavior.

  

The BBL coaches are volunteers from Bang staff (L-R): Gennie Ray, Brock Singleton, Rodney Garcia and Rick Mace.  

2014 Heart Walk

CFISD had 51 teams of staff, students and family members participate in the annual Heart Walk on Nov. 8, raising approximately $14,000 to date. Donations are still being accepted at www.nwharrisheartwalk.org.

Cy Ridge HS students hand out water bottles at the community event on Nov. 8.

Students represent PALs, Peer Assistance and Leadership program, at the 2014 Heart Walk.

Event attendees join CFISD high school dance groups near the DJ stage, one of the attractions at the event. 

Pumpkin Extravaganza

Hancock ES recently displayed pumpkins decorated by students and their families. Students took inspiration from storybook and movie characters when making their creations. 

Angelina Ballerina

Charlotte's Web

Despicable Me

Frozen

Sock Hop

Keith ES celebrated its annual Sock Hop family event on Oct. 24. Principal Cheryl Fisher said it was the largest and most profitable to-date. Through donations from sponsors and a fundraising auction, the event generated approximately $27,000 for classroom needs and staff development. Keith ES staff plan, organize and run this event each year. 

The event started during the school day as students and staff dressed in 1950s-inspired outfits and enjoyed the rehearsals of the fourth- and fifth-grade music classes. In the evening, parents were invited to participate in a music program. This year, music instructional specialist David Kastor taught his 5th-grade students how to play a selection of 50s songs on acoustic guitar. 

"The Keith Sock Hop is not your typical school event," Fisher said. "It is a family experience that all ages enjoy. We celebrated our 10th Anniversary at Keith in August, and our annual Sock Hop is a tradition that the whole Keith community comes together for." 

Parents join fourth- and fifth-grade students for a musical program during the Keith ES Sock Hop on Oct. 24.

Celebrate Texas Public Schools

Districts across Texas are joining the campaign to Celebrate Texas Public Schools. Our public schools bring top quality education to more than 4 million students. Talented teachers and caring staff members and administrators set a strong foundation for this success, which is truly something worth celebrating. 

— from CelebrateTPS.org

CFISD supports the Celebrate Texas Public Schools campaign and encourages campuses to get involved. Below are suggested activities that can be used. Share the ways your staff and students celebrate by sending photos and stories to communication@cfisd.net.

National Principals Month (October)

Activities:

• Shadow your principal for a day and write a report to publish in the local school/community paper or on social media about what you learned and how difficult a job it is.
• Participate in the Principal Props Video Contest for a chance to win a $200 Best Buy gift card. Visit http://www.principalsmonth.org/contest.php for more information.
• Organize an Opposite Day where students dress like the principal and the principal dresses like the students.

National School Bus Safety Week (October 20-24) 

Activities:

• Share school bus safety tips every day during morning announcements; make sure to include tips for passengers and pedestrians. 

Red Ribbon Week 
(October 23-31)

Activities: 

• Have a door decorating contest at your campus. 
• Have theme days where students can dress up based on that day’s theme. 
• Go to redribbon.org for more activities, contest and ideas on celebrating. 

Video Contest

Enter for a chance to win $1,000 for your campus. The contest is open to all public schools in Texas. Read the complete guidelines for submissions on CelebrateTPS.org.

Spillane MS Fundraiser

Spillane MS is putting a unique spin on a classic fundraising event. Registration is open to the community and all funds raised will benefit the school's performing arts department. The Cypress Creek Mirror recently highlighted the event.

More information on registration can be found online. The event will be held Nov. 22.

Health Expo

Representatives from Say Ahhh! Pediatric Dentistry interact with visitors at the inaugural CFISD Health Expo on Oct. 11 at the Berry Center. More than 2,800 guests attended the community-wide event.

CFISD raised more than $10,000 for the Health Organization of Physical Educators (H.O.P.E.) scholarship at the CFISD Health Expo, held Oct. 11 at the Berry Center. 

More than 2,800 visitors attended the Health Expo, which offered numerous health and wellness opportunities for CFISD parents, employees and the surrounding community. Event sponsors were Memorial Hermann, Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, Bridgeland, Next Level Urgent Care, the Cy-Fair Federal Credit Uncion and Shield Bearer.

“The success of the Health Expo was a result of the partnership of all the CFISD departments and the surrounding community,” said Kristina Perez, director of community programs. “We accomplished our goal of equipping visitors with health and safety knowledge while they enjoyed an enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere.”

Student performances took place every 15 minutes, featuring choirs, dancing groups and martial arts demonstrations. 

Many business vendors offered interactive booths for visitors. At the H-E-B booth, community coordinator Marti Owens and Cypress Market showtime manager Chris Mszar gave cooking demonstrations and distributed samples of organic popcorn and H-E-Buddy whole grain grahams.

“It was a great event that we were proud to participate in. Physical education is one of the pillars we love to support at H-E-B,” Owens said. “We were amazed at some of the questions the students had. They were very informed and interested in nutrition.”

Perez said she is already looking forward to the second annual Health Expo next year. 

“We have received nothing but compliments, but we certainly intend on making it a bigger and better annual event,” Perez said. “There were so many different aspects to the Health Expo—there was something for everybody.”

Health Expo visitors had the opportunity to walk laps around the second floor concourse with “superheroes” like Batgirl, Ashley Adams. 

H-E-B community coordinator Marti Owens, left, and Cypress Market showtime manager Chris Mszar create a healthy blend of vegetables and fruits to distribute to visitors to their booth at the inaugural CFISD Health Expo.

The Sampson ES choir, under the direction of Adrienne Applewhite, performs for the Health Expo crowd.

CFISD students visit the CFISD Police Department booth, where guests learned safety tips from CFPD officers. 

SchoolMessenger for Employees

CFISD’s mass notification system, SchoolMessenger, provides an easy way for campus and district administration to send accurate, real-time notifications by phone, text and email. SchoolMessenger replaces the Phone Master system as an improved means of communicating.

SchoolMessenger pulls contact information directly from the Employee Access Center (EAC), so it is very important for all employees to log into the EAC from inside.cfisd.net and update their contact information. Having the correct contact information is especially vital in an emergency situation. Adding your cell phone number to the personal cell phone field will allow you to receive text messages from your campus and the district. To opt-in for critical communications, employees will first need to:

1. update their contact information at inside.cfisd.net (or my.cfisd.net from home); then
2. text Yes to 675-87 to opt-in to receive text messages. This option is for employees only, not parents.

CFISD staff members responsible for sending messages through SchoolMessenger should refer to inside.cfisd.net for useful information. For questions regarding sending and recording messages, contact SchoolMessenger at support@schoolmessenger.com or 1-800-920-3897.

Edit 10/15/14: SchoolMessenger syncs with Employee Access Center each night. There may be a delay of up to 24 hours, after you update your contact information, before your correct information is in the SchoolMessenger system. If you receive an error message from SchoolMessenger after updating your information, wait 24 hours and try again. 

ESL Classes for Parents

Parents register at a recent session of ESL classes.  

CFISD provides free classes for parents of students enrolled in bilingual or ESL classes at CFISD schools. The classes are offered for two levels of English proficiency, beginner and intermediate. More information is provided on the district website. 

ESL intervention coach Stacye White leads a recent ESL class for parents. 

Teacher Ana Powell gets participants moving during a recent ESL class.