Dear Calhoun Families,

One of the things we have been excited about this year is finding more meaningful ways for our families to be connected to the learning happening at Calhoun. Our Community Connections Task Force has been working hard to brainstorm opportunities that go beyond simply inviting parents into the building. We want to create experiences where families can truly feel like a part of our school community and have opportunities to support their child’s learning in simple, meaningful ways.

That is why we are so excited to introduce a brand-new opportunity for parents to visit our Calhoun library during the school day and check out books to enjoy at home with their child!

Beginning this month, parents will have the opportunity to come into the library and select three additional books to check out on their child's library account. Our hope is that you will find books that spark your child's curiosity, create opportunities for you to read and talk together, and maybe even become a favorite that your family reaches for again and again. At this age, some of the most powerful learning moments happen when children are curled up with someone they love, turning the pages of a book together.

Our first Parent Library Checkout will be Thursday, September 24th from 12:00–12:30 PM, and because our library space is limited, we will have 30 spots available. If you would like to participate, you can find all of the information and sign-up details on the SignUpGenius.

We are so excited to open our library doors in this new way and to continue finding creative ways to bring school and home closer together. We hope this is the beginning of many more opportunities for our families to connect, participate, and be a part of the work we are doing at Calhoun!

And who knows? Maybe the next book your child asks you to read one more time will be one you found together in our library.

With gratitude,

Sara Anderson

Principal at Calhoun ECS

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who has supported the Calhoun PTO fundraiser! Thanks to your incredible generosity, we’ve already raised $12,941.

We have just two weeks left in our campaign! Every dollar raised goes directly toward supporting our amazing students and dedicated staff.

To celebrate our community's hard work, the fundraiser will culminate in our spectacular Touch-a-Truck event! Bring the whole family to get up close and explore firetrucks, police cars, construction equipment, and more. We’ll also have some fantastic food trucks on site to keep everyone fueled up for the fun.

Let's finish strong—if you haven't yet, please consider making a donation today to help us cross the finish line!

Join us for Campus Tours on Thursday, October 8 at 8:15 PM

Register today.

Wednesday, September 23 - Stock the Break Room Drive Ends

Saturday, September 26 - PTO Touch-A-Truck (10am - 12pm)

Tuesday, September 29 - Picture Day!

Aramark Student Nutrition is launching Ace’s PIN Power Challenge, which is a district-wide elementary school competition. The challenge will run from September 21 through October 8, with winning classrooms announced on Thursday, October 8.

When we all follow the correct traffic flow, it makes a world of difference for safety and efficiency, so we appreciate you reading over this information carefully.

The first few days will take more time as everyone learns the routine, so please plan accordingly. Our campus is unique—we welcome hundreds of new families each year, so every August we’re teaching our traffic system from scratch. Within a few days, we’ll be running like a well-oiled machine.

Here’s how you can help us get there even faster:

• Check your info before you come. Review the video and map for your region ahead of time so you know exactly where to go.

• Show us your car tag. Hang it from your rearview mirror, facing forward. Dashboard tags are hard to see—especially with sun glare.

• Have your carpool tag with you. If you don’t have it, you’ll need to go to the front office to show identification before we can release your child. This will slow the process for everyone, so please keep it handy.

• Make changes early. Any early pickups or changes to dismissal must be made before 2:00 p.m. We cannot honor requests after that time.

• Stay off your phone in the carpool lane. Distractions create safety risks for students and staff. Please keep your full attention on the flow of traffic.

• Stay in your lane. No lane switching or cutting in. If you enter the wrong lane, you’ll be directed to go around and re-enter the carpool area.

• Remain in your car. For safety and efficiency, please stay in your vehicle. We can only release students to walkers if they live in the neighborhood and are on the walker list.

• If you're walking from the neighborhood west of Calhoun, please use the crosswalk. For everyone's safety, walk down to the four-way stop and cross there rather than crossing in the middle of the street.

• Plan for patience. If waiting in line isn’t your thing, consider arriving early to be near the front—otherwise, bring your best patience and know we’ll get everyone through as quickly as possible.

• Spread kindness. Our staff is out there in the Texas heat making sure your children (and everyone else’s) get home safely. Your patience and smiles make all the difference.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep arrival and dismissal safe, smooth, and efficient for everyone!

Starting in September, our classes will be focusing on a different executive functioning skill each month. We’re kicking off the year by focusing on self-control.

We like to describe self-control as learning how to "hit the pause button." It’s all about taking a moment to calm down when big feelings arise, thinking things through, and making positive choices for right now and the future.

Building these skills at home can be simple, fun, and deeply impactful! Here are a few easy activities you can try together:

• Get creative: Doodle or draw together.

• Play strategy games: Connect Four and other turn-taking games are great for practice.

• Get active: Play lawn games like Cornhole in the yard.

• Card night: Enjoy a quick game of Uno.

• Unplug: Head outdoors for a family walk.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child's growth!