Torchlighter Times

Welcome to our Townley Torchlighter Family Newsletter.

This is a look at this month including updates, announcements and upcoming events.

News from the Principal, Ms. Clark

We are excited to have one six weeks down! Our students have taken beginning of year assessments and students and teachers are setting goals for the great things we are going to accomplish this school year.

October is a special time for parent-teacher conferences. Classroom teachers will reach out to you so they can share data, goals and additional curriculum insight for the grade level. Our partnership is crucial in continuing to help our Torchlighters to shine brighter one day at a time.

Cell Phone Policy

Just a brief reminder about our student code of conduct regarding cell phones. We’re so proud of our students for doing a great job following the rules, and we truly appreciate your support in helping us maintain this!

Students should not use cell phones or any other electronic devices during the school day, in line with district and campus policies.
All personal devices, including cell phones and smart phones, must be turned off while on campus.
If a student is found using their phone during school hours, it will be collected and taken to the front office. A parent or guardian will need to come to the school to pick up the device.

For more detailed information, you can refer to our Student Code of Conduct.

Thank you for your continued partnership in creating a positive learning environment at Townley!

Our Mission: At Townley, we ensure that all Torchlighters will learn and grow.

Our Vision: Torchlighters will shine brighter one day at a time.

We value: Relationships, Kindness & Gratitude, Empathy, Perseverance & Growth, Respectfulness, Responsibility, and A Positive Learning Environment

Here are a few important reminders:

Coffee With the Principals: We are hosting a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9 to have a meet and greet with the campus principals. We are also bringing in Officer Straw as our special guest to share about safety protocols we do on campus and how you can implement these same ideas with your family.
Safety Drills: While at school, continuing to keep all Torchlighters safe is a priority. We talk about and practice different safety drills including: fire, shelter in place (for bad weather), and lockdown. As a family discuss these drills and create a plan for your home as well.

Thank you families for allowing us to be a part of your child's educational journey. We cannot wait to see your child #ShineBrightly this school year.

Here are a few important dates and reminders:

School hours are 7:45am - 3:15pm. Cafeteria Doors open at 7:15 for all students; other doors open at 7:30 for student arrival.
Fridays are Townley Spirit Day. Students are welcomed to wear Townley t-shirts, college t-shirts or uniform polos and blue jeans. No holes in blue jeans.
Dismissal: Thank you for helping your child learn their car rider number. It is helping us speed up the car line. Please continue to pull up when guided by the staff. Those car riders left at 3:35 will need to be picked up in the front office. If there is a change in how your child is getting home, please reach out the office and your child's teacher no later than noon.
Students will not be released after 2:30. If you are picking up your child from school before 2:30, you will need your ID.

Thank you families for allowing us to be a part of your child's educational journey. We cannot wait to see your child #ShineBrightly this school year.

Upcoming dates and events to note:

Wednesday, Oct. 2- Picture Day- free dress
Thursday, Oct. 10 - All Pro Dad- doors open 6:50am
Friday, Oct. 11- Student and Staff Holiday
Monday, Oct. 14- Student and Staff Holiday
Tuesday, Oct. 15- Friday, Oct. 18- School Lunch Week- Flyer with special dress days will be sent home
Thursday, Oct. 24- PTA, Literacy Night, Book Fair
Monday, Oct. 27- Friday, Nov. 1- Red Ribbon Week- more details to come

Anne Clark

Principal

Kim Rivera

Assistant Principal- PreK (Sierra & Esparza), Kinder, 2nd, and 4th grade

Allen Edwards

Assistant Principal- PreK (Conley-Johnson, Vasquez & Zarate), 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade

Welcome Back from Mrs. Rivera!

Welcome back Torchlighters! I'm so excited for the 2024-2025 school year to begin! I loved seeing all the smiles and getting all the hugs on Meet the Teacher night. I know it's going to be an exciting year with all the celebrations we have planned... just to name a few:

Perfect Attendance Parties - where we dance and eat yummy treats!,
Golden Ticket Principal Board - where students place the tickets they earned for excellent behavior to make a Tic-Tac-Toe, then all 12 students get to go to the Prize Closet and pick ANY TOY they want!
Student Celebrations - where every 6 weeks, teachers recognize 5 students who have made gains and show effort in reading, writing, math, science, and "Top Torchlighter Student"(is always Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn.) These students are recognized during lunch and are given backpack Spirit Sticks.

Tips to set your child up for success:

Make sure you are checking your child's HAC(Home Access Center) often to stay informed about your child's grades, attendance, and tardies.
Make appointments after 9:30am so they will not be counted absent, and always bring a doctors note so absences will be excused.
Communicate with your child's teacher often so your child knows you are partners in their education.

Together, we will help your child grow to their fullest potential, build their problem solving skills, and ignite a passion for learning! I look forward to another year where all our Torchlighters will Shine Brightly!

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – WB Yeats

News from Mr. Edwards!

Something To Think About:

Elementary school is definitely a place to start teaching some basic life skills; and making friends can be a challenging life skills for our students. We have many new faces here at Townley and we want all of our Torchlighters to feel comfortable and happy. Although change and newness can bring about sadness and conflict, we want to make sure that we create an environment of acceptance and joy for all. With that being said, here are some simple ways to be more friendly and learn how to make new friends in school.

Make Eye Contact & Smile.
A Simple “Hi” Will Do.
Be Aware Of Your Body Language.
Be Encouraging.
Allow People Their Space.
Take The Lead — Don't Wait!
Ask People Questions About Themselves.
Practice Talking To Others.

"Honesty is like a flu shot. It may give you a short, sharp pain, but it keeps you healthier in the long run." - Willard Harley Jr.

Mr. Box

I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Jason Box. I’m the new Armed Security Officer at Townley Elementary. This is my first year working with Irving ISD.

I wanted to share a little bit about me. I graduated from DeSoto High School (a long time ago). I joined the Marine Corps and spent 9 years in the Corps and got out as a Staff Sergeant. While in the Marine Corps, I worked for and received an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Psychology. I say that to say, I do appreciate teachers and education. After getting out of the Marine Corps, I moved back to the metroplex and got a job as a police officer in Carrollton. I worked in Carrollton for 21 years and spent about 15 years of that as a School Resource Officer (SRO). I loved visiting the elementary schools and quite often I would have lunch with the elementary students. I retired from Carrollton in 2022. I spent the last 2 years working as a Realtor with my wife. I enjoyed it and learned a great deal, but over the last 2 years I realized it was not my calling. That is how I got to Townley Elementary.

The students have been so friendly and Townley has a great staff. I look forward to work every day and I am really glad that I am at Townley Elementary. I'm trying to learn Spanish, so if you see me, please feel free to say "Como estas"? I would love to practice what I have learned. It is a work in progress. 😁

PTA NEWS

During the month of October, we will be having a contest to see which classroom will be the first with 100% PTA membership. Join PTA and help your child earn a pizza party for their class and a gift card for their teacher.

PTA (Parent & Teacher Association)

This is not a commitment of time, it is simply supporting the organization that supports Townley.

The funds collected for PTA go towards Teacher Appreciation Week, our 5th grade celebration, and other fun events for the children.

Save the date:

Second meeting will be October 24th.

Join PTA! Click Here

Fun and Learning Event for October

Join us October 24th, 5pm-6:30pm for our PTA/Trunk or Treat/Literacy Night/Book Fair

Food that will be available for purchase:

nachos
sodas
chips
pizza
popcorn

NEWS FROM YOUR FRONT OFFICE

Cafeteria door opens at 7:15. Other doors open at 7:30 am. Students are considered late if they are not in the building at 7:45 and parents will need to walk in and sign them in for the day. They are missing out on valuable class time and activities when they are not present. Be here, everyday, ready and ON TIME!

Please do not "stop" text messages from us or your teacher. You will miss out valuable communication. We try to only send attendance and necessary updates.
If your student is absent, please call the office or email Faith. Only a doctor's notes will be accepted after the third absence in order to be excused.

Faith Gallaga: tgallaga@irvingisd.net 972-600-6865

Home Access Center (HAC). This is the best way to keep informed with your student's attendance and grades. Progress reports and report cards are only viewable through HAC. Your password was updated with registration, log in often to keep it active.

The second progress report for 2nd-5th will be posted 10/15 and reports cards for all 11/8.

Please contact the front office for any questions regarding HAC at 972-600-6800.

News from the Nurse Please check out this video. It explains about Telehealth, which is offered in the clinic. It does not replace your private doctor; it works in adjunction with your doctor. I received the video from Childrenshealth, and unfortunately it is presently only in English. It demonstrates the process over a high-definition video call, and not just over the telephone.

https://wdrv.it/90bbad41f

www.childrens.com/schools

A couple of reminders: If your child needs medicine, please bring the medicine to the clinic and complete a medication administration form. All medications must be given through the clinic. If you have an over the counter medicine you wish to give your child, per IISD policy I can give it for five consecutive days after you complete the OTC medication administration form. If you need it indefinitely off and on through the year, as in case of orthodontics, we need a doctor's note stating to have it available for the school year. Do not send medicine with your child to school. An adult must bring the medicine to the clinic.

I am presently updating shot records. If we contact you regarding delinquent immunizations, please have your child receive these as quickly as possible. Whenever you receive a new updated shot record, even if we have not contacted you about a delinquency, please bring me a copy. I wish to keep your child's school immunization record as up to date as possible. If you need financial assistance in obtaining the immunizations, please contact me. The Health Services department is assisting with shots.

I am here for your children. Always feel free to contact me with questions or concerns.

Lynnpeters@irvingisd.net 972.600.6808

Lunch Menu for October *Subject to change due to availability.

Looking to print the lunch menu? Here are step by step directions. View breakfast and lunch menus at https://www.schoolcafe.com/IRVINGISD.

Townley Counselors

Cynthia Blood

Counselor for:

Pre-K ( Sierra, Conley Johnson, Vasquez), Kinder, 2nd and 4th grades

I am looking forward to working with you and your kiddos. Let's make this new school year an exciting and outstanding year!

cblood@irvingisd.net

972-600-6809

Yeini Weempe

Counselor for:

Pre-K (Esparza, Zarate), 1st, 3rd, and 5th Grade

It is my goal that this school year be full of successful experiences for all students! I am here to help with any concerns you may have. Feel free to reach out anytime.

yweempe@irvingisd.net

972-600-6810

Red Ribbon Week October 23-31!

In October we observed Red Ribbon week, this year will be from October 23 to 31. October has become drug awareness month nationally. Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. In response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America.

What parent should know about Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a type of medication known as an opioid, like morphine or oxycodone. Technically fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, meaning that it is manufactured in labs rather than from the poppy plant like many traditional opioid pain medications. Fentanyl acts on targets in the brain known as opioid receptors to produce feelings of pain relief as well as other effects in our body. It it extremely potent.

There are many legitimate medical uses of fentanyl, particularly to treat severe pain, typically after surgeries or during cancer treatment. Illegal fentanyl, which can be known by its street names Dance Fever, China Girl, Apache, Tango & Cash, King Ivory and others, can be found in nasal sprays, as a powder, on blotter paper and as pills that are made to look like other prescription opioids.

Typically produced overseas and smuggled into the U.S., drug dealers will add fentanyl to heroin, cocaine and other substances to make a less-expensive drug that still produces a powerful high.

Why is fentanyl dangerous for children and teens?

Fentanyl acts like other opioids when it comes to the brain, interacting with opioid receptors in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord), preventing the brain from receiving pain messages and producing feelings of euphoria. Fentanyl is a short-acting drug, meaning that many will feel a “high” of increased mood quickly, but it will also wear off quickly. Maintaining that “high” will require additional uses, making it highly addictive.

There are many dangerous side effects from opioids. Perhaps the most concerning side effect of all opioids is respiratory depression. This is the side effect that makes an overdose of fentanyl so deadly; the opioids block the brain’s ability to remember to breathe and can quickly lead to death.

The biggest risk for teens misusing fentanyl is the poor quality standards these fentanyl pills are made in; poor quality control leads to variable amounts of fentanyl in each pill. This variability can mean that while one pill may be taken (usually snorted or smoked, but sometimes taken orally) with very little consequence, the next pill could have much more fentanyl and could even be deadly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 70,630 overdose deaths in the United States. Opioids — mainly synthetic opioids like fentanyl — are currently the main driver of overdose deaths, making up 70.6% of all drug overdose deaths.

Students at Townley Elementary are learning the importance of being respectful, responsible and ready at all times. Encourage your child to tell you about ways they can earn Torch Tickets by displaying the 3 R's at school.

LIBRARY NEWS

October is going to be a busy, fun month in the library! We have our annual book-character pumpkin decorating contest and our annual book fair! Please see the flyers on the left for more information. Also, I encourage you to follow all the wonderful things going on in our library on Twitter: @Townley_Library

Remember . . . BOOKS can take you anywhere!

Happy reading,

Carol Bullman

Librarian

Instructional Interventionists Info & Tips

Rebecca Rice, Interventionist //

Melissa Hettish, Academic Specialist

Wondering what you can do at home to help your child with math at home?

Make math fun by playing board games, puzzles, and other activities.
Practice math skills often
Start with the basics: Begin with counting
Read math books
Bake together
Create a math-rich environment that encourages your child to use math in their play and learning.