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A message from
Principal Santos...
We are well into the middle of what educators like to call ROCK-TOBER because of the intensity of all the things teachers have to juggle on top of being a stage performer and content extraordinaire in their classrooms. The honeymoon period is over and students become more comfortable in the classroom which is GREAT for learning, but as an educator you have to be ON IT to have a smooth day each day. With only 30 min for lunch and a handful of parent conferences squeezed into each break you have for the day, it is a recipe for imbalance in teacher self-care. Layer on the nine weeks assessments and grades and report cards and we have a plate overflowing and a task list that keeps on growing.
As I have discussed in years past on Bright Times, the same holds true for parents. We are bombarded with clubs, afterschool activities and weekly birthday parties and celebrations and have a hard time deciding where to hit the pause button.
While I, myself have not found the secret sauce to the parenting portion, I can say that for teachers -- they need our support now more than ever to keep them in the right mindset through this tumultous month. Our teachers are absolutely amazing and for almost all of them, one of their love languages is WORDS OF AFFIRMATION. I am so thankful to work in a district that saw the need for a hard pause button to give teachers a mid-semester reset. You can help too by dropping them some words of affirmation down below in our STAFF SHOUTOUTS section.
We hope everyone is having a great fall break and enjoying the time with your family. We are excited to kick off our first Fall Read-a-thon, which is a school-wide fundraiser where students log their reading time and also gather support from family and friends to help raise funds for PTA programs. You will see more information about how to log-in to the tracking website and sign-up your student to start fundraising! Please see the section below with more information below and let us know if you have any questions.
We would LOVE your help appreciating and celebrating our staff! Any staff member who you see making a difference (big or small) in our school community would love to hear your words of affirmation. This link is always made available on BrightTimes to give shoutouts throughout the school year. We especially want to put it front and center this week! Staff members receive these shoutouts through our staff newsletter, and they brighten their days. Thank you for taking time to shout them out!
Check out this weeks shout-outs below.
Ms. SOLANO - Shout out to Ms Solano! Adalyn comes home everyday talking about all the awesome things Ms Solano does in class and has become even more motivated to learn since having her as a teacher. She is intentional and proactive about parent communication and has sent positive messages to us a few times already this year. We are so grateful for her!
Ms. MAC - I just wanted to take a moment to thank Ms Mac for taking the time to talk with me about the recent Algebra exam. Your insight and reflections on the students’ experience really showed how deeply you care about their learning and how well you understand the curriculum from a big-picture perspective. We’re so lucky to have you and to benefit from your high school experience as you help prepare our 8th grade girls for what’s ahead. Thank you for all you do for our students and for Solar.
MRS. GONZALEZ- She saw me walking Savannah inside and with Savi all the way up - it made Savi’s week. She told me all about how her teacher from last year still loves her.
MRS. PETRAS- Because she is really kind and helpful :)
MRS. STADELMANN- Ms. Staddelmann is a truly wonderful teacher who incorporates professional humor and good relationships with students into her classroom. She is graceful on late assignments and has numerous students who love her and her warm classroom. She barely treats you like a student and more your friend (until its time to BE a student, that is). She is an amazing teacher and I barely see anyone talk about how amazing and funny she is.
2ND GRADE TEAM- Not only do they have their students tracking their progress on iReady, they are also tracking their time on task and giving incentives for students who are on the leaderboards! Way to go!
MS.MCKINNEY & MS.RUDD- Thank you for all you did to make testing happen. We know it was a lot of work especially in the midst of all the hard stops and resets, but you both helped us makeit all the way to the end! We appreciate you.
For more Read-A-Thon information, visit the the PTA website
You probably noticed that you received a LOT more permission and consent forms than every before this year. I first want to apologize that all the forms have come home without explanation. I will work to ensure that in the future with each form that comes home is well explained.
New legislation from the 89th Texas Legislative Session requires parents and guardians to provide annual consent for certain school-based services and activities. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) distinguishes between services that require opt-in consent (consent must be provided before service can be delivered) and services where parents may opt out (consent is assumed unless declined). Some services are always provided in emergencies or as general caretaking.
If you do not complete the form:Your child will not receive services that require opt-in. They will continue to receive opt-out services (unless you decline in writing) and services that are always provided.
These are the forms that have gone home so far:
Health Services Opt-in form. (this includes consent for mental health/counseling)
Clubs Permission forms (if we do not get these this week, your child will not be allowed to stay for clubs)
Girl Scouts Permission form (Because GS is an outside entity that provides us with curriculum to deliver during the school day, and students become GS members through our partnership, a separate form is required.) We were originally given the wrong from by the Girl Scout team which asked for a social security number. This was not correct. We will be sending home the revised form and shredding the previous forms that were returned.
Socio-economic form. This form impacts our funding and state accountability. We have to have a form to document each family's income. In order to retain our 50/50 status, we need to have forms to prove socio-economic status. You can check on the form that you prefer not to share your total income and it will automatically assume that you make over the amount listed here. In the future this form will be sent in an envelope so that you are able to return the form directly to the front office.
As part of FERPA and DISD laws, all information shared with our staff is confidential and will not be shared with any other person or entity. We appreciate your support Please reach out to your child's teacher if you need to upate information on a form or if you need a new form. Please reach out to me directly if you have any feedback or need any more information.
⚕️👩🏻⚕️ NURSE VISITS & IMMUNIZATIONS: If you have not submitted your immunization documentation or filled out your student's permission form, please do so.
👚👖 UNIFORMS/ATTIRE: Click the uniforms button below to purchase house shirts, girl scout shirts, spirit shirts, and uniforms.
Spirit Wear Update: Orders went out in backpacks on Tuesday, October 7th. If you have issues with your order, a PTA volunteer will be on campus Tuesday, October 14th and Wednesday, 15th 2p - 3:20p to assist. Yard signs can be picked up at the front office and are labeled by student. For safety purposes, we are not able to send the yard signs with the metal stakes home with students.
PTA Reflections Art Contest: Parent information session on Wednesday, October 29th - 6:00p Video call link: https://meet.google.com/rpj-kayu-gug
TRUNK-OR-TREAT Leaders Needed - The success of our event is depends on the efforts of volunteers. We need 4 more volunteer leaders to ensure the success of trunk or treat.
Please email solarprepgirlspta@gmail.com or text Tierni Sulgrove, 972.345.2574 if you are interested in one of these roles.
📸 #FallFamPhotos - Are you creative and love a good photo op? We need a leader to design an “Insta-worthy” fall photo backdrop for families to enjoy at Trunk or Treat. You’ll have a set budget to work with, and the display will stay up through Friday, Oct. 31, for families to continue using.
🗺️ Emperor/Empress of the Map - This person will create the event map showing where each grade’s trunks will be located, assign each trunk a space number (chalk-marked on site), handle check-in at setup, and oversee layout flow and logistics on event day.
🍬 “I Want Candy” - Partner with the Emperor/Empress of the Map to ensure every area has adequate candy support. We have a small budget to supplement donations, but communication and planning will help trunks distribute candy evenly throughout the 90-minute event.
🎈 Full of Hot Air - We’ll have two inflatable obstacle courses this year! Read-A-Thon participants will receive wristbands as prizes, while others can purchase wristbands for $5 for unlimited turns. This leader will coordinate day-of setup with the vendor, manage the cashier table, and oversee volunteers monitoring the inflatables.
Do you know someone interested in attending Solar next school year? Our parent tours have begun! These tours are a chance for prospective families to see what makes SOLAR so special. We will host tours every Tuesday morning at 8:00am. If you know of anyone interested in joining the Solar family for the 2026–2027 school year, please share this link to our SignUpGenius.
GET TO SCHOOL ON TIME
Volunteers Needed!
The Solar Peace Pantry is looking for volunteers with all different skills and schedules, but particularly, we are in need of volunteers who are available on Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 (without kids with them) to staff the pantry during our busiest shift!
It's a tricky time slot for many parents so if you're one of the rare people available and childless then, please send us an email! -- solarpantry@gmail.com
SISTERHOOD CIRCLE FIERCE FEMALES
If you know any fierce females who you would like to see featured at our Sisterhood Circle in the fall, let us know by filling out THIS FORM!
REGION 6 LEADERSHIP
OFFICE HOURS
7:30am - 4:30pm
ARRIVAL
7:30-8:00 am
BREAKFAST
7:30-7:55 am
SISTERHOOD CIRCLE
8:00-8:15 am
EARLY DISMISSAL ENDS
2:15 pm
PIKMYKID DISMISSAL CHANGES CUT-OFF
2:45 pm
PRE-K/K DISMISSAL
(Henderson Doors)
3:10 pm
DISMISSAL
3:20 pm