Carson Cowboy Connection

December 2025

Dear Parents and Families,

Wishing you and your loved ones a warm and Happy Thanksgiving! We hope the holiday week gave you the chance to slow down, relax, and enjoy quality time with your children. This time of year reminded us how grateful we are for your partnership and the support you give our school and staff each day.

As we return from the break, please remember that students came back to school on Monday, December 1st. We were excited to welcome them back and continue finishing the semester strong.

Thank you again for sharing your wonderful children with us. We hope you enjoyed your time together and had a joyful and restful Thanksgiving!

Warmest wishes,

Lisa Mendez

Carson Principal

December:

• 12/2-12/3 MAP Math Winter (Gr 1-5)
• 12/5 Career Day
• 12/10 MAP Reading Winter (Gr 2-5)
• 12/11 Winter Choir & Strings Program @ 6 p.m.
• 12/12 Winter Family Dance @5:30-7:00 p.m.
• 12/18 Winter Class Parties
• 12/19 End of the 2nd Grading Prd.
• 12/22-1/2 Winter Break

January:

• 1/5 Student Holiday~ No School/Teacher Planning Day
• 1/6 Attendance Game Party
• 1/8 Group/Class Pics
• 1/9 Repot Cards Live on HAC @ 4 p.m.
• 1/14-1/15 MAP Math Winter (Kinder)
• 1/20-1/21 MAP Reading Winter (Kinder-1st)

Our Lost & Found is overflowing! Please swing by to check for any missing jackets, sweaters, water bottles, or lunch boxes. We’d love to get these items back to their owners before the break. Thank you!

3rd grade students have been learning about nonprofit organizations and the important role they play in supporting the community. As part of this learning, students created their own nonprofit organization projects to explore how groups can work together for the common good. To help bring this learning to life, 3rd grade is participating in a campus food drive. 3rd grade students will help collect donations in the morning so they can take an active role in supporting the cause. Thank you for supporting our students!

IF YOU ENJOY WALKING YOUR STUDENT IN EACH MORNING, ARRIVE BEFORE 7:40 AM.

MORNING ARRIVAL: To ensure everyone's safety, please be prepared to say goodbye to your students as quickly as possible. Parents may walk students into the building, drop off quickly and exit immediately through the front doors. To assist in morning routines, staff are on duty throughout the building. From 7:00-7:40 a.m., parents may walk students into the building. During this time, staff are monitoring students and making final preparations for the day. If you need to talk to a teacher about your child, please schedule a conference.

***STUDENTS ARRIVING AFTER THE FIRST BELL (7:40 a.m.) Will walk to class on their own or be escorted by a staff member. Staff are on duty throughout the building to assist in morning routines.

Curbside drop off service: The parking lot in the front of the school is available for morning drop off. This area is staffed for curbside student drop off. Staff and student patrols on duty will assist your students in entering the building. If you would like your child to have breakfast, you can also drop off in the back bus loop. If parents are staying for breakfast, you must walk in through the main entrance of the school and present a photo ID and receive a badge from the front office.

STUDENTS BEING DROPPED OFF (AFTER 7:45 am):

Parents, please ensure to sign your child in with the front office, if you are dropping off after 7:45 a.m. This is the only way we can account that your child made it into the building safely. Staff is only on duty until 7:40 a.m. Again, parents must sign their child in if dropping off after 7:45 a.m.

DISMISSAL DETAILS (Dismissal Time 3:00 p.m.)

Car Line: Car tags MUST be displayed while in the car line. Please do not take your car tag down until your student has been placed into your car. Your student will be brought to your car from the grade level designated area. Siblings will not be seated together.

For the safety of all students, please follow the directions of staff at all times.

Walk up: If you are 'walking up' onto school property to pick up your child, (from a parked car in the lot or walking from the neighborhood), proceed to the door located at the far right of the side parking lot. You can enter through the side entrance and pick up your child at their designated grade level area. Please enter through the door located in the 1st grade hallway and exit using the doors in the 2nd grade hallway. This will make for a smoother traffic flow. Please do not utilize the Car Line to walk up and collect your child. If you are walking up to collect your child, please utilize the Walk Up.

Walkers/Bike riders: These students independently go home on their own. They are released with the understanding that parents have practiced how the child should go safely from school to home. Your child may be in this group if you meet your child off of school property and go the rest of the way home together. Your child is not in this group if you actually walk onto school grounds to meet your student.

Bus: Students riding the bus are located in areas identified by NISD as being outside of the 2 mile radius or in an area with obstructed pathways such as our areas under construction. Drivers maintain lists of approved riders. Students not on the approved list of riders will not be placed on the bus. If your child rides the bus and walks home from a bus stop, please practice how your child should go safely from the bus stop to home.

FOR ALL STUDENTS: The dismissal plans designated by parents will be followed. Changes to dismissal plans can only be communicated by parents and changes in writing are preferable. Teachers are busy with students all day and do not check email very often. Please do not assume the teacher saw an email or text message. A note in the folder and an email is a good rule to follow. If a response is not received from the teacher, assume the message was not received and call the office to relay the requested dismissal change. If in doubt or with a sudden unexpected change, please call the office.

***ALL CHANGES TO REGULAR DISMISSAL PLANS MUST BE COMMUNICATED BY 2:30 PM.***

Parents: The district attendance goal is to be at 95% or higher for our daily attendance. Please help us boost our campus attendance! Students need to be in school to learn. Thank you for partnering with us to increase our campus attendance. Check out our next attendance incentive happening in November!

A Message from Northside ISD

At a Called Board Meeting on August 12, Northside ISD Trustees approved a policy for personal communication devices to comply with State law.

Students will not be permitted to use personal communication devices—including cell phones, earbuds, and smartwatches—during the school day, which includes during passing periods and lunch.

All devices must be powered off and stored in student backpacks, which will be placed in a designated location in each classroom.

This policy applies to all students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Violations could result in progressive disciplinary action.

Northside Safety

Student safety is our number one priority! The most important procedures in a school are those that ensure a safe environment for our children. Our routines and procedures ensure our students can come to school and enjoy learning.

Safety is a team effort! It takes everyone following expectations and procedures for our campus to remain safe and secure. The district continues to enhance safety protocols and you will notice some new procedures in place for this year. All district facilities will implement the use of the Standard Response Protocol. In the event of a potential threat, it provides common language across campuses and with local law enforcement agencies.

Background checks: If you will be joining us on campus this year to volunteer, attend a classroom special event or chaperone on a field trip, please complete your background check now. You may do that by going to https://www.nisd.net/community/volunteer-mentor and completing the form.

Don't forget to keep your emergency information up to date in HAC.

For district information regarding school safety and security, please visit the NISD website:

https://www.nisd.net/schools/safety.