West University Elementary School
The West U
Pony Express
Fall Edition, 2015-2016
Volume 9, October 19, 2015
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Recycling Booth
2
International Festival
2
Boo Bash Wristbands
2
th
4 Grade Halloween Sociable
2
PTO Speaker & Future Plans
2
th
Principal’s Place
This Friday evening please join me for
the dedication of West University
Place’s first Little Free Library.
Little Free Libraries are free-standing
mini-libraries that have been popping
up all over the country since 2009 when
the founder decided to honor his
librarian mother with a unique
memorial. Now six new ones are
coming to West University Place, each
designed to look like a neighborhood
landmark.
The first one will be a 3’ x 4’ version of
West University Elementary School, in
honor of our 90th anniversary. It will
be installed at Colonial Park. Local
author and WUES parent Chris Cander
is stewarding the initiative in
partnership with the City’s Parks and
Recreation Department, and plans to
unveil the LFL on October 23 in
conjunction with the city’s Full Moon
Fest and Movies in the Park. Yours
truly will act as emcee for the short
ceremony, and will be one of a handful
of guest storytime readers. News crews
from Channels 2 and 13 are planning to
cover the event with a live TV spot, I
encourage you to come and bring your
kids and neighbors and be part of the
action. Let’s show off our wonderful
community and our love of books and
reading.
For more information about Little Free
Libraries, visit their website at:
http://littlefreelibrary.org/
Do you want to receive fast, accurate
information about important school
and HISD events, as well as school or
district closures and emergencies? Text
“YES” to 68453 to sign up for HISD text
messaging! HISD text messaging is a
quick, efficient way for us to alert
parents, students, and staff to
emergency situations and keep you
updated with important news and
information you need to know. Please
know that I will only use this service in
the event of an emergency or to share
very important news with you.
At this point we don’t know whether or
not the Boo-Bash Carnival will have to
be postponed or cancelled due to
weather. We will send home a notice
on Friday based on the latest weather
forecast at that time
Thank you to Halloween Dash & FunRun Chair Amy Marvin and her crew of
volunteers for their great work putting
continued on next page
th
4 & 5 Grade Open House
2-3
Swinging Soiree
3
Elaine Turner Meet & Greet
3
Birthday Book Club
3
st
Pershing’s 1 Look
4
Daylight Saving Time
3-4
Halloween Safety Tips
4
Mark Your Calendars:
• Boo-Bash T-Shirt Day
Wednesday, October 21
• International Festival
Launch Meeting
Wed., Oct. 21, 8:00 a.m.
MPR
• Boo Bash Carnival &
Bazaar
Saturday, October 24
• Popsicles on the
Playground & Front
Playground Dedication
Friday, October 30, 12:30
p.m.
The West U Pony Express
October 19, 2015
Principal’s Place (continued)
together a wonderful 5K run and Kids’ fun run. We also
appreciate all of the sponsors who made this event
possible.
As with all of our events, we encourage you to patronize
the sponsors who give generously to the work at our
school. We couldn’t do much of what we do without them.
Have a marvelous week!
John T. Threet, Principal
Games, prizes, crafts, a reusable shopping bag and a
Scouting Fun Patch are waiting for you at
the Recycling Booth at this year’s Boo
Bash, as well as useful information to help
you waste less and recycle more. Test your
knowledge about what can and cannot be
recycled curbside or somewhere else. When you play the
game and the buzzer goes off, you know you made the
right match. Prizes will be offered to all who play. You can
also make a Japanese print, magnetic bookmark and/or
seasonal greeting card for residents of local nursing homes.
If you’d like to earn a Scouting Fun Patch, you will be able
to complete four of the five requirements at the booth for
the “Take Care of Your World: Reduce, Reuse Recycle” fun
patch. A copy of the requirements can be found at
http://westutx.gov/335/Special-Events. A free reusable
shopping bag will be offered to all who sign the pledge to
go reusable and reduce their consumption of plastic bags.
Any questions, email recycle@westutx.gov.
Calling all parents who have expressed an interest, or who
still would like to be involved or hear a little more about the
International Festival at West University elementary, to join
st
us in the MPR on Wednesday October 21 after drop-off at
8am to hear about our plans for this year.
Enrica Vagliani and Delphine Trogneux, IF Chairs 2016\
Pre-ordered wristbands and meal tickets will be delivered
to your teacher's mailbox on Monday, Oct 19. Please be on
the lookout for these in your child's Monday folder or in
their backpack starting on Monday. But please be
patient! Teachers may not distribute
them until Tuesday or Wednesday! If
you haven't received your wristbands or
meal tickets by Wednesday, please
email
Lori
Fisher
at blmfisher71@yahoo.com If you did
not pre-order your meal tickets or
wristbands, they can be purchased at the door.
Boo Bash T-shirt Day: We're having one more Boo Bash tshirt day - tell your kids to wear their Boo Bash T-shirts to
school on Wednesday, October 21st and show their
support for our school's boorific Boo Bash!
Calling all 4th grade ghosts and goblins put on your
costume and come to a Pre-Halloween bowling sociable
$25.00 (make checks Payable to WUES PTO).
Palace Bowling Lanes,
4191 Bellaire Blvd
Friday October 30,
1:30-3:30 p.m.
Costumes are optional. There will
be prizes for best costume. There are 24 spots available.
Hosted by The Fitzgerald Family
During last week’s PTO General Meeting, we had an
opportunity to learn valuable nutritional information from
our guest speaker, Aimee Alley Taylor with Greenpeas &
Blueberries – Whole Life Wellness. She made us more
aware of how our kids’ health, focus, moods and brains are
affected by the (sometimes hidden) chemicals in our food
and drink. She also provided actions we can take to
influence healthier options for our kids. She is a great
resource to coach you and your families to meet any of
your goals – feel free to contact her at
aimee@greenpeasandblueberries.com.
Stay tuned for more great speakers (at 8:00 a.m.):
December 15, 2015: Phylis Tomlinson, Love & Logic
February 9, 2016: Dr. Crystal Collier, “The Science of HighRisk Behavior”
th
April 2016 during WUES 90 Anniversary week: Barbara
Gruener, “Kindness is the Real Global Warming”
WUES will be hosting a Middle School Open House on
October 21 in the MPR from 6:30 – 8:00pm. We will
discuss the HISD magnet application process and
The West U Pony Express
October 19, 2015
representatives from Pershing, Pin Oak and Lanier Middle
Schools will be present to talk about their schools and
answer questions.
Get YOUR RAFFLE TICKET TODAY!
$50.00 Per ticket or 5 for $200
Contest will run 10/5 – 10/26
(three chances to win/need not to be present)
WIN YOUR CHILD A PARTY WITH MR. A AND COACH JONES
THE CLASS WITH THE MOST RAFFLE TICKETS WILL SPEND 1
AND ½ HOURS PARTYING WITH MR. A AND COACH JONES
ON THE PLAYGROUND
Grand Prize: Parking Spot
Second Prize: Hover Board with Led lights
Third Prize: Diamond Flower Necklace by Allison Hall
Tickets available online at www.westupto.org/auction.
Please list child’s name and teacher.
Join
us
Thursday,
November 5, 6:00-8:00
p.m. at Elaine Turner
Rice
Village,
2439
University Blvd. Sip, Talk & Shop: Moms, teachers, friends
& family come get an early start on your holiday shopping
with the latest & greatest from Elaine Turner in Rice Village.
Adult libations & lite bites will be served while shopping;
20% of all proceeds between 6-8pm will be donated back to
WUES PTO. Can’t make it between those hours? Let them
know & they will extend the 20% throughout the day!
Hosted by the WUES PTO Fundraising Team. RSVP to
nicholeake@sbcglobal.net or 281-684-5822.
The following students are celebrating their birthdays this
week by donating a book to our school library:
Harrison Tramonte
October 19th
Natalie Hampton
October 20th
Nicole Hampton
October 20th
Brooke Mansour
October 20th
Beau Smith
October 20th
Bailey McAbee
October 22nd
Landon Clement
October 23rd
Kennedy Packer
October 24th
Tessa Ritchie
October 24th
Leila Chadraoui
October 25th
Please, note that due to the great response to the Birthday
Book Club this year, we will go back to honoring birthdays
on a weekly basis instead of on a monthly basis.
Also remember:
-
-
-
If you would like to order a Birthday Book Club
membership for your child, all orders are due NO
LATER THAN Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. to be included
in the following week’s Pony Express.
Please submit your Birthday Book Club forms as
soon as possible, to make sure we include your
child in the Pony Express during their birthday
month.
Order forms can be found online
www.westupto.org, or in the blue PTO box at the
front office.
Happy Birthday and thank you for supporting the West U
Elementary library! Any question? Please contact Tracy
Benner (tracymbenner@yahoo.com) or Guadalupe Harper
(guadacarlesso@hotmail.com).
Pershing is opening its doors to zoned students for FIRST
LOOK. Please save the date, Tuesday, October 27th at
6:00, and come see the amazing things that are happening
at Pershing.
The principal, counselors, teachers and
current parents will be on hand to provide
information and answer questions
regarding the 6th grade curriculum,
electives, the fine arts department,
athletics, and much more. Tours of the
campus will also be given. For more information, please
click on the flyer. We hope to see you there!
It is almost that time to change our clocks signaling the end
of Daylight Saving Time. Before you go to bed on Saturday
night, October 31, remember to “fall back” by setting your
clocks back one hour.
The West U Pony Express
October 19, 2015
Credit for Daylight Saving Time belongs to Benjamin
Franklin, who first suggested the idea in 1784. The idea
was revived in 1907, when William Willett, an Englishman,
proposed a similar system in the pamphlet The Waste of
Daylight.
The Germans were the first to officially adopt the lightextending system in 1915 as a fuel-saving measure during
World War I. The British switched one year later, and the
United States followed in 1918, when Congress passed the
Standard Time Act, which established our time zones. This
experiment lasted only until 1920, when the law was
repealed due to opposition from dairy farmers (cows don’t
pay attention to clocks).
During World War II, Daylight Saving Time was imposed
once again (this time year-round) to save fuel. Since then,
Daylight Saving Time has been used on and off, with
different start and end dates. Currently, Daylight Saving
Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March
and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November.
Source: The Old Farmer’s Almanac:
http://www.almanac.com/content/when-does-daylightsaving-time-end
Walk Safely
• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and
crosswalks.
• Look left, right and left again when crossing and
keep looking as you cross.
• Put electronic devices down and keep heads up
and walk, don’t run, across the street.
• Teach children to make eye contact with drivers
before crossing in front of them.
• Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no
sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to
the left as possible. Children should walk on direct
routes with the fewest street crossings.
• Watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
Teach children to never dart out into the street or
cross between parked cars.
Trick or Treat With an Adult
• Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at
night without adult supervision. If kids are mature
enough to be out without supervision, they should
stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-ortreat in groups.
Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe
• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape
or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors.
• Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible
instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s
vision.
• Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help
them see and be seen by drivers.
• When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right
size to prevent trips and falls.
Drive Extra Safely on Halloween
• Slow down and be especially alert in residential
neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween
and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on
medians and on curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and
carefully.
• Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you
can concentrate on the road and your
surroundings.
• Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic
and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to
spot children from greater distances.
• Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during
those hours.
- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/halloweensafety-tips#sthash.szJ9Ulms.dpuf
West Un iversity Element ary School
3756 University Blvd., Houston, TX 77005
Phone: 713-295-5215
Fax: 713-667-8514
John T. Threet, Principal
Tracey L. Wyatt, Instructional Coordinator
Amber Pinchback, Assistant Principal
Daphne Rawlinson, Teacher Specialist
Texas Education Agency Exemplary School
Texas Education Agency Met Standard
with Academic Distinction in All Areas
Children At Risk, Ranked #2
Among All Texas Public Elementary Schools
TBEC Honor Roll School
NCEA Higher Performing School
No Place For Hate School
It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, handicap or
disability, marital status, religion, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression, or any other basis
prohibited by law in its educational or employment programs and activities.