PASADENA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
SOUTH HOUSTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
900 MAIN STREET
SOUTH HOUSTON, TEXAS 77587
Revised 8/10/2015
E. Karina Zarzosa Monserrath Vasquez
Principal Assistant Principal
Dear Parents,
Welcome to South Houston Elementary! We hope all of you had a safe and restful summer! We are very excited about this coming school year.
Effective communication between the parents and school is essential. If at anytime you have any suggestions, problems, or concerns, please feel free to call or set up a conference to speak to us.
We need your cooperation in the following areas:
Attendance
Grade Level 1st Bell Tardy Bell Dismissal
Pre K AM 7:35 a.m. 7:50 a.m. 10:50 a.m.
Pre K PM 11:55 a.m. 12:05 a.m. 3:05 p.m.
Kindergarten 7:35 a.m. 7:50 a.m. 3:05 p.m.
First/Second 7:35 a.m. 7:50 a.m. 3:05 p.m.
Third/Fourth 7:35 a.m. 7:50 a.m. 3:05 p.m.
***Doors will open at 7:15. Breakfast will be served only from 7:15 – 7:35. Students will need to be inside the building and inside the cafeteria by 7:35 to participate in breakfast. Students that come to school after 7:35 will be directed straight to their classroom.***
It is important for children to develop good habits at an early age and to learn that school is important. We need all parents to set a good example by having their children arrive at school on time, not taking their children out early, and not allowing their children to miss school unless they are ill or there is a family emergency. Please try to arrange doctor’s visits or family errands after school hours. We cannot teach your children unless they are here. Every minute is important. State law requires a written excuse with a parent’s signature for every absence incurred.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Pre K through 4th Grade
¨ After 3 unexcused absences a referral to the truant officer will be made and you will receive a filing notice from the truant office. Pre K will receive an unexcused letter from South Houston Elementary.
¨ After 6 absences, you will be asked to provide doctor’s excuses for all absences thereafter.
See Student Handbook for a detailed district Attendance Policy.
Pre K
Once enrolled, all compulsory attendance laws apply. If a student has more than three unexcused absences, he/she may be withdrawn. Students who are consistently dropped off and/or picked up late may be subject to withdrawal from the program. Please refer to Student Handbook under Pre-Kindergarten.
TARDINESS
We expect all students to arrive at school on time. The practice of arriving to school, work or other appointments on time is a life skill. As parents and adults in the work force, we know the importance of punctuality. As parents we are our children’s first and most influential models of this critical life skill that will help our children become more successful adults. Let’s teach our children to always be on time starting now!
Please be aware that students who arrive to school tardy will be documented by the front office staff. Parents of students arriving to school late will be required to sign their children in at the front office.
CAFETERIA
Universal Breakfast – Breakfast is free for ALL students
Student Lunch Prices: $2.00 .40
ALL PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
UNIVERSAL BREAKFAST
South Houston Elementary will continue to offer free breakfast to all students. This year, breakfast will be offered from 7:15 to 7:35 am. Students will need to be inside the building and in the cafeteria by 7:35 to participate in breakfast. Students that come to school after 7:35 will be directed straight to their classroom. Our breakfast program will start the second day of school and due to lack of space; parents will not be allowed to enter the cafeteria.
FREE/REDUCED LUNCH
An application for free/reduced lunch must be completed and turned in to the food service department at the beginning of each school year. For your convenience, you will receive directions on how to submit an application online or you may complete a paper copy and submit to the Food Service Department. We strongly recommend all parents complete and submit the application online to speed up the process. Please choose only one method of submitting the application. Do not submit the application online and paper copy; doing both in paper and an online application will only delay the process. All applications must be processed by October 7. If the application has not been processed at that time, students will be required to pay the full lunch price of $1.90 starting on October 8 until the application is processed.
MEDICINE AT SCHOOL
In most cases, the medication time can be adjusted so that medicine does not need to be taken during school hours. Unless the doctor specifies an exact time, medicines that are labeled to be taken “two to three times a day” are to be given outside of school hours (before school, after school, at bedtime.) In the rare instance when it is necessary to take prescription medicine during school hours, the school is required to have a written request from the parent, legal guardian or other person having legal control of the student before medication may be given at school. The medication should be taken to the clinic. It is recommended there be no more than one week’s supply at the school. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to see that the medicine is picked up from the school at the end of the day or the end of the week, as appropriate. Non-prescription medication may not be brought to or used at school because even the simplest and safest of medications can mask symptoms of illness and/or create undesirable reactions.
Prescription medication must be:
ü Issued by a United States pharmacy
ü Current
ü In the original container
ü Properly labeled
ü Brought to the school by the parents or guardian and not the student.
In addition: Students must be free of fever, vomiting and diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school. Students must be free of headlice and nits. If a student is sent home from school with headlice or nits the nurse must check him or her before returning to class. A parent or other adult must accompany the child to the clinic. Students who have been sent home for head lice or nits should receive prompt treatment and return to school the following day, if free of live organisms and nits (eggs). If the student does not return to school the day after being sent home for head lice it will be an unexcused absence. (www.1pasadenaisd.org/handbooks).
Sample medication issued by a U.S. physician requires a written directive from that physician in order to be given during school hours. Prescription medications containing codeine or other narcotics are not to be brought to school.
Students disregarding the above restrictions may be held in violation of the District’s Drug Abuse Policy and shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Every parent is expected to read the handbook and sign the insert. Parents are able to read the handbook online on the Pasadena website under the Parents &Students tab, but you have to print the signature page, fill it out and return it to school as soon as possible. If you prefer a paper copy you will have to request one from the front office. The handbook outlines expectations for student behavior and explains some of the procedures. The guidelines contained in the booklet are based on information that will help everyone have a better year.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE
Please arrange conferences with the teacher in advance (preferably a day or two) by sending a note to the teacher or calling the school office. Teachers are not allowed to interrupt their instructional time to hold conferences. Conferences may be arranged after school or during the teacher’s conference period. All teachers will be happy to meet with you.
TEXTBOOKS
Please help your child keep up with textbooks and library books. Textbooks should be covered with a book cover at all times. The student must pay for lost or damaged books. Student’s records will not be cleared until this is taken care of.
DRESS CODE
Student’s Dress Code is included in the Student Handbook and it is also posted on the Pasadena website under the Parents &Students tab. Please read it carefully for a complete list of guidelines.
Important Notes:
· Students’ hair must be neat, clean, well groomed and may not have shaved designs.
· If a student comes to school with a shaved design or inappropriate back packs, parents will be called and corrective action will be required.
The District allows each campus to choose one day for students to wear their school spirit shirts. South Houston Elementary sprit day is on Fridays. Students may wear their school spirit shirts on Fridays only.
Sincerely,
E. Karina Zarzosa
Principal