Roberts Elementary, Houston ISD

Roberts Elementary, Houston Independent School District, Texas
IB World School and Fine Arts Magnet
Rita Graves, Principal

Sunday, March 30, 2014

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 3/31
Tuesday, 4/1  5th gr STAAR Math; 4th gr STAAR Writing; Report Cards go home
Wednesday, 4/2  5th gr STAAR Reading; 4th gr STAAR Writing
Thursday, 4/3
Friday, 4/4  Rice Baseball Bash
Saturday, 4/5  Spring Community Night, 6:00 pm

Monday, 4/7
Tuesday, 4/8
Wednesday, 4/9  School Tour, 9:00 am
Thursday, 4/10
Friday, 4/11


STAAR Testing
4th and 5th graders will take STAAR exams this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Because of the various small groups, all offices and the library will be used for test administration.  Volunteers and visitors to campus will be limited while students are testing. 

Tuesday folder volunteers will receive an email when the folder contents are ready.  Please do not come to campus until you receive that email.  If you need someone to stuff folders for your class, please call the school and leave a message with the receptionist.




Enrollment Guidelines: What is Residency?

I am committed to keeping class size low at Roberts.  There are a number of factors that contribute to enrollment shifts.  The causes of increased enrollment tend to be very complex in schools like Roberts were enrollment fluctuates with the economy.  Our close proximity to the Medical Center makes us an ideal campus for medical personnel.  As grants and fellowships change with the economy, so does our enrollment.  At a time when there is little in the way of single family dwellings available in the neighborhood, much of our enrollment shifts come from multifamily dwellings such as apartments and condos.  These often serve as temporary housing while families look for homes in the area.  In addition to fluctuations resulting from the economic climate, enrollment can be impacted  by the reputation of the school.  Roberts has a reputation of being a very fine public school. 

With those things in mind, it is our responsibility to ensure that space is available for children from our community, and for those children accepted into our Magnet Program from outside of the school attendance zone.  We have a responsibility to confirm that all enrollments are valid, and comply with District policy and State law.

The question that often arises during enrollment relates to residency.  Residency is what qualifies you as an “in-zone” student.  So, what is residency?  Generally it is referred to as where you live and sleep every night, but here are some of the more detailed and specific criteria. 

1.   Does the parent/guardian who establishes residency own, rent or lease a home, condominium, apartment or living quarters within the attendance zone?
2. Does the family have furniture and personal effects in the attendance zone with no furniture or personal effects at a previous residence?
Does the parent/guardian receive personal mail in the attendance 1. zone?
2. Are the parents/guardians registered to vote in the attendance zone?
3. Does the parent/guardian regularly live in the attendance zone and plan to live there indefinitely?  Have all licensed drivers in the household complied with DPS regulations for changing address?

  

Sunday, March 23, 2014

News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 3/24  NTB Competition
Tuesday, 3/25
Wednesday, 3/26
Thursday, 3/27
Friday, 3/28   Kinder Field Trip

Monday, 3/31
Tuesday, 4/1   STAAR 5th gr Math, 4th gr Writing; Report Cards go home
Wednesday, 4/2   STAAR 5th gr Reading, 4th gr Writing
Thursday, 4/3
Friday, 4/4    Rice Baseball Bash
Saturday, 4/5  Spring Community Night


NTB Competition Day!
Tomorrow our Name That Book competitive team will take on five other HISD elementary NTB teams at 9:30 at MC Williams Middle School.  All NTB students are invited to wear their team t-shirts in a show of support.  The competitive team, along with our 10 invited team members will be leaving Roberts at 8:30 and will return after lunch.  Go team!

STAAR Testing
State tests begin next week for our 4th and 5th graders.  This is the first set of exams, with the remaining exams to follow later in April.  It is important that your child maintains a regular schedule this week and next week, getting adequate rest so that he or she may focus on the work ahead. You can help your child by reading the class blog for updates, and ensuring homework is done regularly. For upcoming testing dates, you will find a testing calendar in a previous blog post.

Have a great week!


Sunday, March 9, 2014

News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 3/10  +Works Community Concert, Pershing
Tuesday, 3/11  Spring Pictures, class and individual
Wednesday, 3/12  1st gr Field Trip
Thursday, 3/13  SDMC Meeting, 3:30 pm
Friday, 3/14  Field Day

Monday-Friday, 3/17-3/21  SPRING BREAK

Monday, 3/24  NTB Competition
Tuesday, 3/25
Wednesday, 3/26
Thursday, 3/27
Friday, 3/28  Kindergarten Field Trip
Saturday, 3/29  Hermann Park Kite Festival

Big Thanks
Wow!  The auction was a huge success this year!  So many people pitched in to make the event a very successful fundraiser and a wonderful celebration of the incredible community of our school. We are working on the final totals, and will be able to share the results just after Spring Break. Thank you for donating, underwriting, attending and/or bidding. Every form of participation is important to the process and we very much appreciate that you have supported us to raise money that will go to curriculum enhancement, technology upgrades, grounds enhancements, teacher training and classroom materials.

Jump Rope for Heart
Another example of the incredible generosity of the Roberts community!  Mr. Lytton reports that students raised $12,782.07 this year, benefiting the American Heart Association, with our top fundraiser, Hayden Hancock raising $510!



Sunday, March 2, 2014

News from Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 3/3   1st Day of Session III: Specialties
Tuesday, 3/4   Spring Picture Day; Election Site; 1st day of 5th gr Musical Rehearsals
Wednesday, 3/5  Jr Name That Book Competition; School Tour, 9:00 am
Thursday, 3/6  
Friday, 3/7   PTO Meeting, 8:10 am
Saturday, 3/8  Mardi Gras Masquerade Auction, 6:30 pm

Monday, 3/10  +Works Community Concert
Tuesday, 3/11
Wednesday, 3/12  1st gr Field Trip;
Thursday, 3/13  Staff Appreciation Luncheon; SDMC Meeting, 3:30 pm
Friday, 3/15  Field Day; Lost and Found Clean Out; No After School Activities

Testing Schedule
Tuesday, 4/1 STAAR 5th Gr Math, 4th Gr Writing
Wednesday, 4/2 STAAR 5th Gr Reading, 4th Gr Writing
Tuesday, 4/22 STAAR 3rd & 4th Gr Math
Wednesday, 4/23 STAAR 3rd & 4th Gr Reading, 5th Gr Science
May 5-9 Stanford Gr 1-5


Mardi Gras Masquerade Auction
Saturday, March 8th, 6:30 pm
I do hope that you are planning to join the fun on Saturday evening!  The annual school auction is the primary fundraiser for our PTO, and raises money that goes directly to Roberts Elementary.  The PTO works to raise money to support classroom instruction and essential learning opportunities.  Money raised from ticket purchases and auction purchases that evening are important to providing professional development such as IB training, Rice University Mathematics School Program, and curriculum enrichment, such as Writers in the Schools and Young Audiences Residencies.  And its just a whole lot of fun spending the evening together!

Big thanks to the many people who are working tirelessly to put the finishing touches on our big event. Liz Singleton and her crew are working hard to make this a great evening for the rest of us! 


Magnet Enrichment
Our 5th graders will begin rehearsals on Tuesday for their stage production of Aladdin, Jr.  They will begin with auditions on Tuesday and Thursday.  All students interested in taking part in the after school enrichment will be given spots as members of cast, dance or crew.  Students not interested or able to stay after school for primary roles, will be learning the music during their music ancillary class, and will be members of the chorus.  All 5th graders will have a role in the production.

We want to get feedback on the last production from our 3rd grade parents.  Please take a moment to tell us what you think!

Magnet Enrichment Survey for 3rd grade parents:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YY22C5Q