FEBRUARY 9, 2015
Contact Us
IDEA Walzem
8750 Fourwinds Drive
Windcrest, TX 78239
210-239-4600
www.ideapublicschools.org
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Evan Yates
Principal, Academy
Khalil Graham
Principal, College Prep
Purvi Gordon
Assistant Principal of Operations
Christina Flores
Assistant Principal of Instruction, Academy
Sadie Ellner
Assistant Principal of Instruction, Academy
Rachel Fiddelman
Academic Counselor
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
- There will be no school on Monday, February 16th and there will be an early release day on Friday, February 27th. School will end at 12:00 PM. Wolf Care will be in session for all students currently enrolled in the program; our standard late pick up fees apply.
- As a reminder, Wolf Care payments willonlybe collected on Fridays.
- Texas State Law prohibits the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle. For the safety of our scholars and staff, please refrain from using your cell phone while driving. Drive now, talk later. Thank you in advance for sweating the small stuff to ensure that our team and family members are safe.
Upcoming Events
COWBOY BREAKFAST
Thursday, February 26th (7:00 – 7:45 AM)
We will be hosting an IDEA Walzem Cowboy Breakfast for students and their families! Our CNP staff will prepare a buffet of eggs, bacon, biscuits and more! Please RSVP to Purvi.Gordon@idea publicschools.org by 2/13. Tickets will cost $3 for students and $5 for adults.
EXPLORE UT
Saturday, March 7th (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
Every year, The University of Texas at Austin hosts EXPLORE UT, a free, family-friendly open house, full of exciting activities for the whole family! We will be providing transportation to and from Austin, TX for the first 40 Academy AND College Prep families that sign up! Please visit https://exploreut.utexas.edu/ for more information. Please RSVP to to reserve your spot today!
VALENTINE’S DAY HOMEROOM CELEBRATION
Friday, February 13th (3:10 – 3:40)
Students are welcome to bring in goodies and/or cards to share with the class during our Valentine’s Day classroom celebrations on Friday, February 13th. We ask that students who bring in treats bring enough for every student in their homeroom class. Please reach out to your student’s homeroom teacher with any questions, such as number of students, etc.
*No outside deliveries permitted
Uniform Reminder
Monday – Thursday:
Shirt: Tucked in IDEA embroidered polo
*Long-sleeved shirts must be all white
Pants: Dickie’s flat front khakis
*Leggings must be all black
Shoes: All black shoes; black laces; white socks
Belt: Plain black belt
Friday:
Shirt: Tucked in IDEA spirit shirt or college shirt
Pants: Jeans (no holes, studs/designs, jeggings/skinny jeans)
Shoes: All black shoes; black laces; white socks
Belt: Plain black belt
Average Daily Attendance
Kinder: 93.6%
First Grade: 96.2%
Second Grade: 95.9%
Sixth Grade: 96.2%
We will be posting our weekly attendance averages here in future Parent Weeklys. Our goal is 98%! Bringing your child to school every day helps ensure his or her success at IDEA, college, and beyond!
student
shout outs!
Kinder
Star Student: Eli Soto
Core Value: Daniel Hernandez
First Grade
Star Student: EJ Gray
Core Value: Emily Wash
Second Grade
Star Student: Maria Bernhardt
FEBRUARY 9, 2015
Grade Team Updates
KINDER CORNER
Kinder Parents,
As we prepare for Homeroom Valentine’s Day Celebrations,students are asked to bring in a shoeboxwrapped in white paper. Classrooms will be decorating them to hold Valentine Cards and treats.When creating Valentine Cards to pass out, please only write your child’s name in the “from” spot.This will lessenconfusion and help make the process easier for everyone.Please connect with your child’s homeroom teacher on specifics for classroom needs for the day.
Thank you,
The Kinder Team
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FIRST GRADE CORNER
Team and Family,
Congratulations to the fantastic scholars EJ and Emily! We appreciate you all being STAR Scholars every day! Congratulations to McKinzy Bazan for earning a certificate for having the most AR points!
Here are a few reminders:
1. School starts at 7:30 sharp, please be here on time!
2. If you are not receiving Dojo updates please email your scholar’s homeroom teacher for details.
3. Birthday treats must be brought on the Friday of the week of your scholar’s birthday. Please bring enough for all students. Please contact to verify.
4. Valentine’s Day is coming up, if you plan on bringing cards do not address them specifically just bring enough for each homeroom. 30 should be plenty!
First Grade Team
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SECOND GRADE CORNER
Second Grade Parents,
This week, we have many students to congratulate! In 2ndgrade, the STAR student of the week was Maria Bernhardt! Congratulations to Giselle Mercado who has read 200,000 words so far this year! Congratulations to Stephen Carter who has the most AR points in 2nd grade! And finally, congratulations to SFU for moving up to the second grade program!
Second Grade Team
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SIXTH GRADE CORNER
Hello 6thGrade Families!
Don’t forget to sign up for Explore UT Day at UT Austin! We are providing free transportation for IDEA families to enjoy the event together! Thank you to our Basketball families for a wonderful season! Please be on the lookout for information regarding our spring sports! Our next Student Outing will be to see a play produced by Trinity University.
6th Grade Team https://sites.google.com/site/walzemcp/
______ELECTIVES CORNER
Dear Parents,
*You can track your child’s progress and see how well they did on their AR test as soon as it is completed by signing up for Email Notifications. Remember AR quizzes are 50% of your child’s grade.
The username is theStudents ID and Password is abc123
https://hosted274.renlearn.com/2406896/HomeConnect/
Please email me f you have any questions!
Thank you,
Ms. De Luna, AR Zone Facilitator
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ATHLETICS CORNER
We are excited to announce our next athletic season here at IDEA Walzem! We will begin the Cross Country season for both boys and girls on February 9, 2015. Team tryout results will be posted in the gym Tuesday February 10that the end of the school day. Practices will occur every Monday & Wednesday from 4:20-5:20PM. Athletes should be picked up no later than 5:30PM! Runners must bring appropriate change of clothes/shoes for practice, and are encouraged to bring a bottle of water. For any questions please contact Coach Betancourt 210-267-7523 OR Coach Moreno 210-262-6554. GO WOLVES!
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Child Nutrition Update
Academy Parent Lunch: IDEA Walzem Academy parents may visit campus to eat with their students during their designated Parent Lunch Day. Parent Lunch Days will be on Fridays on a rotating schedule based on grade level (kinder, 1st, 2nd ….). Parents should arrive at the times noted below. Please park in the front lot and check in with the receptionist.
Upcoming Parent Lunch Days:
First 2/13 11:15 AM Second 2/20 11:45 AM Kinder 3/20 12:15 PM
Parents may not bring commercial food (i.e. McDonalds, Subway) to campus for Parent Lunch. Feel free to bring lunch from home or eat the food provided by our Child Nutrition Program.
Birthdays: Students may bring store-bought cupcakes to school on the Friday of their birthday. Parent must first e-mail to confirm. All cupcakes must be brought to the main office by the parent by 2:00 PM.
Payment Update: The Child Nutrition Department works hard on a daily basis to provide your child with a healthy and nutritious lunch for a nominal fee. However, please understand that we do need to have all negative lunch balances paid to avoid your child getting a courtesy meal, which would consist of a cold cheese sandwich and milk. Once your child’s account is paid in full, the courtesy meal will be withdrawn and he/she will be able to choose their meals from the regular menu. All balances can be paid by cash or check at the child nutrition department between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm. Or you can also create an account and pay for meals on our online system at www.myschoolbucks.com. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Any questions please contact Mr. Galicia CNP Manager at (210)284-7957.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Parent Volunteers: If you would like to become a parent volunteer, please stop by our receptionist’s desk to fill out the necessary paperwork. Parent volunteers must be on campus before 11:00 AM, as IDEA Walzem’s campus will be closed between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
Open House: We will be hosting Open House events during the spring semester for both currently enrolled families, and families who wish to find out more about IDEA. Please check next week’s Parent Weekly for our new Open House dates and times!
Parent Ambassador Opportunity: We are looking for current parents to help us recruit students for the 2015-2016 school year! You will be assisting Mrs. Purvi Gordon in recruiting our new students! If you are interested, please send an email to Mrs. Purvi Gordon at .
MEET THE LEAD TEAM!
Dr. Khalil GrahamPrincipal, IDEA Walzem College Prep
Education: University of Richmond; University of Kentucky
Favorite Snacks: Goldfish and Gummy Bears / Mr. Evan Yates
Principal, IDEA Walzem Academy
Education: Trinity College; The University of Texas at San Antonio
Favorite Snacks: Grapes and Plums
Mrs. Christina Flores
Assistant Principal of Instruction, IDEA Walzem Academy – Kinder + 1st Grade ELA
Education: Baptist Bible College
Favorite Snacks: Fruit, Sour Gummy Worms and Dark Chocolate / Ms. Sadie Ellner
Assistant Principal of Instruction, IDEA Walzem Academy – 2nd Grade + 1st Grade 1
Education: American University; University of Maryland
Favorite Snacks: Almonds and Dark Chocolate
Mrs. Purvi Gordon
Assistant Principal of Operations
Education: University of Arizona; Argosy University
Favorite Snacks: Popcorn and Pickles / Ms. Rachel Fiddelman
Academic Counselor
Education: Colgate University
Favorite Snacks: Cheez-Its and Snickers