Mitchell News
J.C. Mitchell Elementary
10900 Gulfdale
Houston, TX. 77075
(713) 991-8190
“Home of the Bulldogs”
August
Issue
2014-2015
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Mark Your
Calendars!
September 1- Labor Day
Holiday
September 10- Open
House; 5-6:30 p.m.
General Assembly in
cafeteria from 5:00-6:30
p.m.
September 16Grandparents’ Day
Luncheon; Cost: $4.00
each plate
September 19- Parent
Meeting; 8:30 a.m.Cafeteria
September 24- Early
Dismissal at 12:30 p.m.
Parent teacher
conferences will be held
beginning at 1:00 p.m.
See your child’s teacher
for more information.
September 30- 3rd grade
field trip to Museum of
Fine Arts (half day)
Mrs. B. Salazar
Principal
Principal’s Message
Welcome back! It is hard to believe that summer has ended and a new school year is
about to begin. We are excited and are looking forward to all the great things we will
be implementing.
HISD has adopted a new reading initiative called, Literacy by 3. The district has
made a huge financial investment as we prepare for its launch. The goal is to ensure
that all children are able to read on grade level by 3rd grade. Literacy by 3 consists of
three parts: 1) Guided Reading, 2) Read Alouds, & 3) Independent Reading. Students
will participate in a 135 minute Reading block. They will work with their teacher in
small groups using books which have been determined to be at their level or slightly
above. The goal is to gradually increase their reading level and improve their reading
ability. They will also be taking home readers each night in their designated book
bags, separated by grade level. Students in PreK-5 will be a part of this incredible
initiative.
Our campus is also partnering with the Barbara Bush Foundation to implement the
Read Houston Read program. Selected 1st graders will have the opportunity to have
a volunteer visit with them as they promote a love for reading amongst the students.
As we continue to promote literacy on campus and at home, we strongly encourage
you to take your child to the library for a library card. Our nearest public library is
Bracewell Branch located near Blackhawk and the cards are free.
We are excited for this wonderful and amazing opportunity! Reading is Fundamental!
Stay informed!
Sign up for important HISD information on your cell phone!
Text, “YES” to 68453 and stay informed about inclement
weather, safety alerts, school closings, and other important
information impacting HISD students and staff.
*Check with your service provider as additional charges may
apply.
Community Corner
What’s new?
New Sign In-System- This year our campus has elected to use a new program for signing
in. It is called, Raptor, and it requires any visitor to the campus to present a government
issued photo identification before being able to visit or withdraw any students.
Eating with your child in the school cafeteria- This year parents will be allowed to visit
and eat with their children on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. See your child’s teacher for
his/her lunch times.
Morning drop off/afternoon times/procedures- School gates will open at 7:15 a.m. this
year. School hours are 7:45 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Any student arriving after 8:00 a.m. must be
accompanied by an adult. Do not drop off your child and have them walk alone into the
building. You must escort them in the main office and check them in for the day. Any
parent picking up their child in the afternoon must do so by 2:30 p.m. The school will not
release anyone after this time. This is a very busy time of the day and many times
students are preparing for the close of the school day.
Free lunch for all!- Mitchell has been selected by district leaders to participate in a
program which will offer free lunch to all students regardless of their family’s income
status. A survey will be sent home for you to complete and return.
Academic Parent Teacher Team (APTT)- Our campus will be working closely
with our district’s Family & Community Engagement (FACE) Department, along
with representatives from WestEd to improve and increase our parental
involvement on campus. More information will be shared with you. We are
excited about this opportunity and look forward to a great year together!
Communities In Schools PartnershipWe would like to welcome Mrs. Arlette
Alamia to our campus. She is the new
part-time Project Manager for
Communities In Schools. Mrs. Alamia will
be on our campus on all day Mondays &
Wednesdays, and half days on Fridays.
She will have a variety of responsibilities
as she works closely with staff members,
students, parents, and other community
agencies. We look forward to having her
on campus to help our students and their
families in any way possible.
Community Donations- We would like to
thank our community members for their
donation. Ms. Pat Lee of CPS for her
uniform donations. St. Peter’s Church of
Katy has once again donated school
Good News Club- This year students will be able to participate in this after school
opportunity if they wish. More information will be provided during Meet & Greet on Friday supplies and other items to our campus!
from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Houston Independent School District