September 1, 2017
Good evening St. Francis family,
Wow, right when you think you have things under control, the world spins beneath your feet! We were all set to open the doors and begin our school year next Tuesday, but this afternoon the City of Houston announced the evacuation of several subdivisions close to St. Francis. To make matters worse, the city predicts various roads within the City of Piney Point will be impassable next week. These announcements were followed by the Spring Branch ISD announcement this afternoon that they would be closed until Monday, September 11.
We are committed to the safety of our students, families, and faculty and will continue to work with local private and public school heads, as well as area officials, regarding safe travel and access to both campuses. As of today, we have more than twenty-five teachers with flooded homes and automobiles. Many of these teachers live, on a clear day, more than an hour away from St. Francis. I am sure we all agree that it is important for our students to start the year with their teachers. Other concerns are that we need at least two inservice days for our teachers to prepare, review their students’ medical plans with our school nurse, and review educational plans with our division administrators. Further, during an emergency, St. Francis follows the lead of Spring Branch ISD. For these reasons, I feel it is in the best interest of our community to change our school opening dates.
We will follow the lead of Spring Branch ISD, Houston ISD, and several other area private schools. Our first official school day will be Monday, September 11.
I am including information for each division below but also urge you to visit our website, where we will provide you with updates regarding our latest plans and all the information you need to start the school year.
•Friday, September 8, 2017, Meet the Teacher
One of the most exciting times in the life of a child (and for educators as well) is the anticipation and excitementthat comes with going back to school! Your children will meet their teachers Friday, September 8.
Our Primary Schoolschedule and Meet the Teacher visits on Friday, September 8 are as follows:
◦Pre-Primary and those families with children already signed up for Explore and Extend 8:00–9:00 a.m.
◦Primary I 9:15–10:15 a.m.
◦Primary II 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Our Lower Schoolschedule and Meet the Teacher visits on Friday, September 8 are as follows:
◦Kindergarten 9:45–10:45 a.m.
◦Chapel 10:45–11:15 a.m. (Parents may attend)
◦First grade 12:15–12:50 p.m.
◦Second grade 1:00–1:35 p.m.
◦Third grade 1:45–2:20 p.m.
◦Fourth grade 2:30–3:15 p.m.
Our Middle Schoolschedule for Friday, September 8 is as follows:
◦Chapel 8:45-9:30 a.m. (Parents may attend)
◦Middle School Meet My Teachers9:30-11:00 a.m. (Parents do not attend)
◦Middle School Locker setup and school supply pick up 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
OurMarket Daywill take place Friday, September 8 from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.
Monday, September 11 thru Friday, September 15
◦Regular School Days Please see Hear From the Division Head, Sunday, September 10 for division details including information on new parent meetings.
◦Convocation and Eighth Grade Tie Ceremony Monday, September 11 at 9:00 a.m. with eighth grade reception following.
◦First Division EucharistsWednesday, September 13.
◦Explore and Extend will be available for St. Francis families during the first week of school from 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. To ensure space for your child, please contact Margaret Newsom, Director of Explore and Extend at 713.458.6467 or .
◦Uniforms will not be required the first week, and students are allowed to wear casual dress. Helpful hints on casual dress options from our Handbook are included below:
Girls Casual Clothes
▪Jeans, slacks, or shorts the same length as uniform shorts
▪No skirts or yoga pants
▪No tank tops or spaghetti straps
▪No inappropriate logos or advertising
▪House T-shirt and regular blue jeans or uniform bottoms on Fridays
Boys Casual Clothes
▪Jeans, slacks, or shorts the same length as uniform shorts
▪No inappropriate logos or advertising
▪No tank tops
▪House T-shirt and regular blue jeans or uniform bottoms on Fridays
Once again, we are committed to meeting the needs of our families, and if you need help getting clothes or uniforms, please let us know.
Our hearts remain with our family, friends, and city throughout this unprecedented tragedy, and I know we will find new ways to be people for others and live our mission in our community. I will share more specific plans with you in the weeks to come. For now, we have started a relief fund dedicated to families within the school community who have been affected by Harvey and the flooding. More on that in the next update. The spirit and generosity of our community continues to amaze me!
We all look forward to welcoming our families back to campus on Friday. As always, if there is a particular need for which I can assist you, please contact me directly at or 713.253.4823.
With the warmest affection,
Susan B. Lair, PhD
Head of School
P: 713.253.4823
F: 713.782.4720