The
Cougar Express
9710 Runnymeade St, Houston, TX 77096
Phone: 713-726-3630 Fax: 713-726-3663
August 25, 2015
A Special Note from Paula Kearney:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
August
28
1st Week Packets Due
Summer Reading
Assignments Due
31
Spirit Night @ Escalantes
September
2
PreK-2nd Open House
3
3rd-5th Open House
7
Labor Day – NO SCHOOL
8
PTO Meeting @ 6:30
10
SDMC Meeting
22
Early Dismissal @ 12:30
23
Fall Holiday – NO SCHOOL
At the end of last school year my home was destroyed by the
flood waters. My eyes, naturally flooded with tears. The Kolter
community flooded me with financial support to help rebuild
my life. My friends and neighbors flooded me with caring,
support and hands on help. I am flooded with gratitude and
my heart has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the
Kolter family. There are no words to convey the deep
appreciation I feel for the wonderful people in my life. I am a
very fortunate woman to have lived and worked in such a
compassionate environment. Thank you from the bottom of
my heart.
First day of school picture? Check! Send your first day photos
to yearbooks@kolterpto.org by September 1st and you may very
well see your photography skills in this year’s yearbook!
Meet Ashley Barnes, Kindergarten Teacher
I grew up in the Houston area and went to school in Katy ISD. I attended Sam Houston State
University before moving on to and graduating from the University of Houston. Go Cougars! This
will be my ninth year teaching kindergarten. I began teaching in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD before
moving on to work overseas in Saudi Arabia for Saudi Aramco Expatriate Schools. I am excited to
be back home and continue teaching Kindergarten for HISD. I love to cook and can often be
found in the kitchen trying a new recipe in my down time. I also LOVE to travel! I was fortunate to
be able to travel to several countries while living abroad and look forward to adding more stamps
to my passport.
Meet Rachel Ortiz, Kindergarten Teacher
I am thrilled to join the Kolter family as a Kindergarten teacher! This year will be my 8th year of
teaching, and I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to live my life doing what I love. For
the last 5 years I lived and taught in Omaha, Nebraska, and I am ecstatic to finally be back home
in Houston. When I am not teaching kindergarten, I enjoy cooking, traveling, hiking, and spending
quality time with my friends and family. I look forward to meeting and getting to know all of you.
The Cougar Express is published once a week on Tuesdays. To submit articles, please e-mail the information for approval by the Thursday prior to
the issue of interest to Steven Shetzer at sshetzer@houstonisd.org .
Meet Nicole Carville, 2nd Grade Teacher
Monday, August 24
Shani Alatin
I have taught for 11 years in both public and private schools
and enjoy helping children reach their highest potential. I
received my M.Ed. from Lamar University in 2011. I recently
moved to the Maplewood neighborhood with my family. My
son Oliver attends S. Thomas More and my daughter Victoria
attends Bertha Alyce. I am very excited to be a part of the
Kolter community and know it will be a fantastic year.
Wednesday, August 26
Gonzalo Romero
Thursday, August 27
Daliah Solomon
Friday, August 28
Addison Grover
Halle Jacobs
Nicholas Lai
Saanvi Sadana
Saturday, August 29
Kieley Clavon-Lorance
Rowan Murphy
Meet Nisrine Droubi, 5th Grade Teacher
I’m a 5th grade Math and Science teacher at Kolter. I
consider myself a “proactive teacher” who empowers the
students to believe in their abilities to learn math and science.
I received my B.S. in Education with a focus in math from the
University of Houston in 2013. I also hold a degree in
Information Technology from the University of Saint Joseph in
Beirut, Lebanon. Before joining Kolter, I was a 4th grade
teacher at Trafton Academy and a 5th grade math and
science teacher at Herod. I was born and raised in Lebanon.
I’m a proud mother of three kids; Fayez, Mia, and Sophia. I
speak, write, and read Arabic, French, and English. In
addition to spending time with my family, I love to cook, bake,
and exercise.
CARPOOL
SCHEDULE
Runnymeade Carpool:
Week of August 31
Ms. Brown’s Parents
Ms. Bodie’s Parents
Week of September 7
Ms. Cotton’s Parents
Ms. Gornall’s Parents
Meet Herry Yulianto, SLL Teacher
I graduated from the University of Houston in 2004. My first
teaching assignment was at Franklin Elementary School as a
special education teacher. I worked there for 8 years before
moving to Sylvan Rodriguez Elementary in 2012. I have
traveled extensively in the United States, having visited 24 of
the 50 states. I also enjoy traveling internationally, and have
visited 25 different countries. I live nearby in Bellaire with my
four golden retrievers.
A Reminder About Dismissal
For the safety of our children, parents must have their child’s name tag when picking up
their child(ren) in the afternoon. If you do not have a tag, you will be sent to the main
office where we will check your ID and issue you a temporary tag. It is also very important
that you do not crowd the teachers and students during dismissal. This causes confusion
for the students who are trying to find their parents. Thank you!
It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national
origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or political affiliation in its educational or employment programs and activities.