Classroom Information

The school day at Sam Houston begins at 7:40 a.m. Students should arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. and should then read a book in the hallway until class begins. Your child is considered tardy after 7:40 a.m.

Our lunch schedule is from 11:46-12:16 with a short recess until 12:26. Denton ISD has visitor procedures that state only persons that are listen in the school system at emergency contacts are permitted to eat lunch in the cafeteria UNLESS a parent/guardian calls the front office ahead of time. All visitors must submit a Driver’s License while signing in.

Birthdays

Please let me know if you would like to send cupcakes, cookies, or another simple treat to school to celebrate your child’s birthday. I’d like to have at least a day’s notice in order to plan something for those kids who may need an alternative treat. It’s also important to send items that are pre-cut and easy to serve. It works out best for the children to eat them right after lunch in the cafeteria, and it is a huge help if you stay to serve the treat. We have lunch from 11:46-12:16.

I will also be happy to pass out birthday invitations as long as every child in our class is receiving one. If you are only able to invite some of the children, please do not send the invitation to school as it often leads to hurt feelings.

Lunches

It is very helpful to prepay for lunches in the cafeteria or online in order to avoid your child having to keep up with cash. Please place any cash sent to school in a ziplock bag or envelope labeled with the purpose of the money.

Snacks

We’ll have a quick morning snack at 10:00 each day. Please send a healthy, easy to eat snack with your child each day. It would also be helpful to have some extra individually wrapped snacks on hand for students if you’d like to make a donation. Thanks in advance for your help.

Binders

A 3-ring binder will be your way of keeping in touch with your child’s classroom each day. It will have important information from our school or the classroom. It will also contain your child’s weekly homework, our class schedule and graded papers. This binder MUST go home each night and return to school each morning. I will often include ‘friendly reminders’ on the weekly calendar in the binder. Please don’t hesitate to call me with any questions or concerns you might have.

Transportation

You should notify your teacher in writing or my phone if you change your child’s regular transportation arrangements. You may also call the office if it’s unexpected. Please do not send your child to school with a verbal message. We are often unable to change the normal procedures unless we hear from you directly. I am usually able to check my email at the beginning of the day and sometimes at lunch. I do not always get to my computer or voicemails before my planning period at the end of the day, so calling the office is best when you have last minute changes or urgent messages.

Absences

Please remember to send a written note to school with your child after his/her absences. It must be received within 2 days in order to excuse an absence. These notes are filed at the office and verified within our attendance system.

Allergies/Health Information

I have already received some basic information regarding your child’s health. If you have additions comments or concerns, please contact me so I can make a note of the information. It is important to inform the school of any allergies, medications, and other important health information

Personal Belongings

Please label your child’s belongings such as backpacks, lunch boxes, and coats/jackets in order to help with items that are left behind or lost.