Dear Parents,

We have had a phenomenal start this week. Thank you all for coming to our “Meet the Teacher” night. We are pleased to have you as partners in this educational year. By now you should be back into the school routine, supplies purchased, transportation issues settled, met the teacher, attended at least one of the six parent “Orientation Nights”, joined PTA and last but not least signed your life away on numerous district or PTA forms. (Student Code of Conduct, handbook, electronic agreement, textbook, directory, volunteer, membership, etc.)

We are very proud of our new wing, Hunt Construction was able to finish our addition on time. We had the certificate of occupancy two weeks prior to school starting. Our PPCD and first graders are enjoying the new technology features in their classrooms. All students are benefiting from the two new computer labs. If you haven’t had a chance to see our new expansion, please check it out. The retention pond behind the school is still under construction, they are expecting it to be completed in about six weeks.

The other new feature added this summer was the Safe Door; it has been in full operation since day two. School safety and a secure learning environment for our children continues to be a top priority. All visitors must be routed through the front office and sign in before they are buzzed into the building. A special thank you for your help in implementing the new policy.

One more big thank you to the teachers and hundreds of volunteers who have spent a tremendous amount of time and energy preparing our school environment for your child.

I also want to thank Carrie McDaniel who made everyone’s life a little easier by selling over 600 wrap packs. Due to her organization and hard work of her committee 99% of our students had their supplies from day one. A special thank you to all the PTA officers and Board members who continue to work behind the scenes on behalf of our community, teachers, and most importantly our students.

On the back you will find a few friendly reminders that help us maintain a safe and friendly school environment: (A September calendar is also attached)

Attendance – In accordance to (Education code 25.092), all students in the state of Texas must provide a handwritten note, from the parent that describes the reason for the absence. Students must be in attendance at least 90 % of the total number of school days each year. By law we are required to report excessive absences and tardies to Judge Kerbow, Denton County. Our students need to be in their chairs and ready to begin the learning activities of the day at 8:00 a.m. Yes, they are tardy at 8:01 and must obtain a tardy slip from the office. Help your child learn the organizational skills that deadlines demand by insuring that they have at least ten minutes to get to their class and be ready to learn.

Safety – Thank you for keeping our office informed of any telephone or emergency contact number changes. A special thank you to those who are following the recommended traffic flow map provided by the HV Police Department (Back of your Handbook). We appreciate your patience and friendly driving, especially on FM 407 and Barnett. The traffic is not as heavy as it was this time last year. However, when TXDOT begins the expansion of FM 407 and FM 2499, I know it will increase the traffic issues behind the school. We continue to work with the cities of Highland Village and Flower Mound as well as TXDOT regarding the need for a light or turning lane. The city of Highland Village is considering a connecting road from Barnett to Briarhill to add to the city’s master plan, which would help our traffic flow; however, this is contingent on the development of the property east of Barnett. The drop-off and pick-up continues to improve as more students ride the bus or walk. We are rewarding our bus riders by dismissing them at 2:50 ; buses leave our campus at 3:00 . Walkers are dismissed at 2:55 and parent pick up at 3:00 p.m. One last favor, if you are in the pick up line and your child has not come out of the building, please pull out of the line and park your car. This will enable the line to keep moving and will help with the traffic flow. (REMEMBER: NO PARKING IN THE DROP-OFF/PICK-UP LANES)

School Hours : Students: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Office & Teacher Hours: 7:45 a.m – 3:45 p.m. Most of you know the majority of our staff members work before and after the contractual hours. However, due to staff meetings, parent conferences, and extra-curricula activities the teachers may not be in their rooms after hours. I encourage you to schedule an appointment if you need to conference with the teacher in person before or after school. If you have a change in transportation plans, a note is required for any student to ride a different bus and must be approved by an administrator. A class will not be interrupted to deliver messages to student unless it is an emergency. Transportation changes are confusing to an elementary-age child. Keep things simple and basic for your children. All students must be dropped off after 7:30 a.m. and picked up before 3:15 unless they are in ESD, an extra – curricula activity, or in tutoring. Children left at school unsupervised, for over one hour, is clearly a case of abandonment and could involve local authorities.

Thank you for helping our Heritage Hawks “Soar to Great Heights.” As always, we are working together to achieve educational excellence for your children. We appreciate your continued support. It is a privilege to serve as your child’s principal.

Sincerely,

BeLinda Nikkel

Principal