Family Newsletter, Friday, March 1, 2024
Dear Goodwater Families,
I hope this note finds you and your families well.
Thank all of you for the tremendous support during Raise Craze. We will be providing a final report on Monday. We are very proud of all of the students who performed acts of kindness and to the parents/caregivers for your support during this event.
I would like to take just a moment of your time and share with you the policy regarding absences and tardies. If your student is absent, please send an email to attendance@goodwatermontessori.org with the reason for the absence. If your student is out three days in a row we must have a doctor’s note to excuse those absences. If you do not provide a note those absences will all be unexcused. State law requires students to attend school at a minimum of 90%. If they are below 90% we are required to have a Attendance Committee Meeting to discuss their absences. Our primary funding mechanism for this school is enrollment and attendance percentage. If you have multiple children please bring the students that do not have symptoms to school. We appreciate all you do to make sure your student(s) are provided the best education possible. Communication with Kim Hodges, our PEIMS/Registrar Coordinator is important and we appreciate your cooperation.
Parents/caregivers who wish to substitute must complete the Substitute Training we provide. It is important to understand the requirements of the job and emergency procedures. We appreciate all of you who assist at our school. If you have any questions please visit our website.
Next week, students in grades 3-8 will be completing the 3rd nine-week check-in. These check-ins are to make sure students understand the TEKS-required material during that nine-week assessment. Students who still need additional support will be provided that support during the next nine weeks.
Have a great weekend.
Kindest Regards
Dr. Bruce
Dear Caregivers,
As our Raise Craze fundraiser gracefully concludes today, Friday, March 1, we are thrilled to announce that due to our phenomenal success, the opportunity to contribute will extend throughout the weekend! Let’s seize this moment to ensure that we capture those final Acts of Kindness (AOK) and donations!
Currently, our collective efforts have garnered an impressive $19,871 in funds raised, accompanied by a remarkable tally of 781 Acts of Kindness. Such achievements speak volumes about the spirit of generosity and compassion within our community.
For those preferring to make donations by check or cash, the office stands ready to assist. Please remember to include your name, student(s) name, community (class)name, and email address to facilitate the issuance of a tax-deductible receipt.
The dedication and enthusiasm displayed by our students and staff in embracing acts of kindness are truly inspiring. We are honored to belong to such a nurturing and caring school community.
Let’s rally together to finish this fundraising endeavor with a flourish! Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Leaderboard for real-time updates on our progress: https://my.raisecraze.com/leaderboard/for/A4XJ2CN/
😁Friday, March 1st: Share a Smile Day 😁
“Share a Smile Day” is a day dedicated to spreading happiness and positivity by sharing smiles with others. It’s a simple yet powerful concept that reminds us of the importance of kindness and connection in our daily lives. On this day, people are encouraged to smile at strangers, compliment others, perform random acts of kindness, and generally spread joy wherever they go. It’s a wonderful opportunity to brighten someone’s day and contribute to a more uplifting and compassionate world. So, don’t forget to share your smiles and spread happiness on “Share a Smile Day”!
STAAR Resources & Schedule:
It is hard to believe that students in grades 3-8 will begin taking STAAR assessments next month! There are many great resources available to help your child(ren) prepare. As a reminder, at https://www.texasassessment.gov, you can access practice and released tests, examples of the multiple choice revising and editing items, resources for Emergent Bilingual students, a family checklist, a FAQ section, as well as many other resources. You can also browse by assessment type.
The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is an English language proficiency assessment aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). This assessment is designed to assess the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students make in learning the English language. TELPAS fulfills ESSA requirements for assessing EB students in kindergarten through grade 12 in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. To learn more about TELPAS and to access information and resources, please visit https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/testing/telpas/telpas-resources
EB students in grades 2-8 will begin taking the online assessments after Spring Break.
| 2023 – 2024 STAAR Schedule | ||
| Grades | Date | Subject |
| 2 – 8 | Mar 18-29 | TELPAS |
| 3 – 8 | April 18 | RLA |
| 3 – 8 | April 19 | RLA make-ups |
| 5 & 8 | April 23 | Science |
| 5 & 8 | April 24 | Science make-ups |
| 8 | April 25 | Social Studies |
| 5 & 8 | April 26 | Science & Soc St make-ups |
| 3 – 8 | May 2 | Math |
| 3 – 8 | May 3 | Math make-ups |
Important Registration Information
We are continuing to accept applications for new students on our website at https://goodwatermontessori.org/admissions/. If you have a student who is not yet attending Goodwater Montessori, please complete the new student application and be sure to list your currently enrolled student as the sibling on the application when it asks the question if the new applicant is a sibling of a student attending Goodwater. Siblings of enrolled students will receive priority enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year.
Last week, the Intent to Return Google document was emailed out to all currently enrolled student’s parent’s email addresses that we have on file. The link for the document is here. The survey will come from kim.hodges@goodwatermontessori.org. If you did not receive the Google doc, please check your spam folder. The survey is due to us by Friday, March 8, 2024. This information is important as we plan for the next school year.
| 2024-2025 Application and Registration Dates | |
| Application Period (8 weeks) | Feb 1st – March 29 |
| Prospective Family Session Dates | Monday, March 4 – ALL LEVELS – 5:00 – 6:30 pm |
| Wednesday, March 6 – PRIMARY – 5:00 – 6:30 pm | |
| Wednesday, March 20 – ALL ELEMENTARY – 5:00 – 6:30 pm | |
| Thursday, March 21 – ADOLESCENT – 5:00 – 6:30 pm | |
| Returning Student Intention Forms | Feb 20 – March 8 |
| Week of Lottery (the week after Application Period closes) | Week of April 1 |
| Admissions and waitlist emails go out (the week after the lottery) | Week of April 8 |
| New Student Registration | Week of April 1 |
| Returning Student Registration | Week of April 15 |
Attendance
Hello Goodwater families. We continue to see many unexcused absences each day. These can be changed to excused absences simply by communicating with our attendance specialist daily when your student(s) are absent. Please remember to email attendance@goodwatermontessori.org each day that your student is absent and after 3 days of them being out due to sickness, we do require a Dr. note upon their return to school. If you have any questions regarding our attendance policy, please do not hesitate to contact us. Have a wonderful weekend. ~ KIM
Upcoming Important Dates
| Coffee with Dr. Bruce | March 7th, 1:00 pm |
| Spring Break, No School | March 11-15 |
Have a wonderful weekend!
~GMS