25-26 Back To School Newsletter

📣 OHT families — the countdown is ON! 

🎉 We can’t wait to see our Owls back on campus for Meet the Teacher Night on Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 4:30–6:30 PM! 🦉
✨ Come meet your teacher, drop off supplies, and get ready for an amazing year ahead! 💛💙 
☎️ Teachers will begin contacting families on Monday, Aug. 4th to introduce themselves and invite you to Meet the Teacher. Look out for their call! If you miss their call, don't worry! Class lists will be posted outside the school doors on the day of Meet the Teacher.
**Due to class size limitations and the addition of new programs being added to our campus, we will not be able to honor parents requests or class changes this school year.**

#OHTOwls #MeetTheTeacher #BackToSchool #OwlReady

 💙💛 Check out your school supply lists here 
👉 https://app.teacherlists.com/schools/63738-oak-hills-terrace-elementary-school🎒✏️
#OHTOwls #BackToSchool #OwlPride 🦉📚

We're excited to welcome you in on the 1st Day of School- Monday, August 11th. Our doors will open at 7:00a.m. to students and families.

But remember to get here on time because learning will begin at 7:45a.m.

Dismissal will begin at 3:00p.m.

Northside ISD students will receive meals at no cost under the current USDA Waiver for the 2024-25 school year. In addition, your child's school participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which allows for free meals for ALL students enrolled at the campus. Families at CEP schools are not required to complete a Free & Reduced-Price Meal application but must complete the following online documentation:  https://ecep.nisd.net

By completing this CEP form, additional funding for state and federal programs and services may be provided at OHT. If you have any questions, please call us at the office at 210-397-0550.

You can fill out the CEP form online at:  https://ecep.nisd.net 
You will need your child's student ID # and date of birth to fill our the form online. If you'd like to fill out a paper form, stop by the front office for a copy.

Thank you for your participation!

Get your Fast Pass today and avoid the lines!!

Starting the 2nd week of school (August 18th), ALL visitors to campus will require a Raptor badge. If you plan on visiting the building frequently or would like to walk your child to class, bring in your state-issued ID (physical ID required- pictures of IDs will not be accepted) and get your Fast Pass set up. No background check needed!

All regular visitors will need to update their Fast Pass quarterly.

As we begin the school year, we are getting our students used to the Morning Arrival procedures. You can help your child learn the routine too!

• Our doors open to students at 7:00a.m.
• Breakfast is served from 7:00-7:40a.m. in the cafeteria.
  • Students will go through the line. Parents may eat with their child in the courtyard.
• Students wait in B Hall from 7:00-7:15a.m.
  • Pre-K & ECSE students report directly to the Cafeteria to wait with their class, even if they are not eating breakfast.
• At 7:15a.m., students walk to their grade level area to wait with a teacher. Parents may walk their child to their hallway during this time WITH A FAST PASS or Daily Raptor Pass.
  • Pre-K & ECSE students will report directly to the Cafeteria to wait with their class, even if they are not eating breakfast.
• 1st Bell Rings at 7:40A.M. Students begin going into their classrooms to prepare for instruction.
  • Parent exit the school building. Front Lobby doors close at this time and students walk to class independently.
  • Students eating breakfast head to class
• 7:45a.m. Tardy Bell rings and classroom instruction begins
• 8:00a.m. Tardy students MUST be checked into the office by a parent or guardian if dropped off after 8:00a.m.

A couple reminders for Dismissal Time:

1. Dismissal begins at 3:00p.m.
2. Please stay in your vehicle if you are driving in the Parent Pick-Up Loop. We will have ample staff available to help get your child into your vehicle. PLEASE refrain from leaving your vehicle unattended in the fire lane.
3. If you choose to park and walk up to pick up your child, please use the crosswalk. We want to model safe practices for our students and keep all our Owl Families safe.
4. Be sure to check in with your child's teacher as you walk up to pick them up. Students know their teacher will check them off the list before releasing them to you.

In accordance with HB1481, ALL use of personal communication devices (cell phones, smart watches, personal tablets, etc.) are prohibited during instructional hours.  Students are permitted to have them on campus, however once they arrive at school, they are to be turned off or placed on “silent” and placed in the student’s backpack throughout the instructional day.  If a student is caught using a personal device during the school day on campus, he/she is subject to disciplinary action, which will include the device being confiscated until a parent or guardian can come to the campus and retrieve it from the office. 

The parent pickup loop is a No Phone Zone. Please refrain from using your phone while picking your child up in the parent pickup loop.

We ask for your patience these first couple of weeks as the buses refine their routes and pick up our kiddos. Please be sure to know your child's bus number and arrive at your drop-off/pick-up location 5-10 minutes early.

Buses may run a little late at first. 

If you are unsure of your child's bus info, please visit the NISD Buses & Boundaries website 

You can also download the "Here Comes the Bus" app to get live updates and alerts.

Track Your Child's School Bus with "Here Comes the Bus" App

Here Comes the Bus (HCTB) is a revolutionary app that parents can download to conveniently track their child's school bus in real-time. With this app, you’ll receive timely notifications about the bus's location, ensuring you never miss the bus and always know exactly when your child will be arriving home. No more waiting in uncertainty or worrying about delays—stay informed and in control with Here Comes the Bus.

Stay Informed with Real-Time Notifications
Receive notifications or email alerts when the bus is close to your home!

Now Available Free at NISD!

For students eligible for transportation.
CLICK HERE for more info

SchoolCafé is a single location for all your cafeteria needs...Connecting Families to School Nutrition! From the SchoolCafé app, you can: 

• access daily menus
• view nutritional and allergen info
• add money to your child's account for them to buy ice cream and other snacks
• get notifications about your child's cafeteria account

CLICK HERE to learn more

Northside's Learning Tree After School program provides on campus fun, learning, and low cost tuition! Enroll today for the 25-26 school year!

For more information about enrollment or employment, call 210-397-8108 or visit our website at https://www.nisd.net/district/after-school

Grade levels may choose to have a snack time during the school day. Teachers will share with you if their grade level has chosen to have snack and at what time. 

The instructional day does not stop during snack time and students will still be working. You may send in a small snack for your child to enjoy while working. We encourage parents to send their child's snack in their child's backpack. You do not need to send in snack for the entire class. Students are not allowed to share their snack with others.
Also, please do not send in any type of candy or cake. Thank you!

While we love our furry friends, school is not the place for them. Pets are not allowed on campus, especially during dismissal time.

Thank you for helping us keep all students safe and healthy.

If your child would like to celebrate their birthday with their class at school, please help us by doing the following:

1. Let the teacher know ahead of time that you'll be sending in a treat for the whole class (ask how many students they have)
2. Only send in store-bought, pre-cut or portioned items (like cupcakes, cookies, donuts, or brownies)
3. Bring the treat in first thing in the morning.

We cannot accept goody bags, balloons, or gifts for students. Thank you!

Professional Food deliveries (UberEats, Favor, DoorDash, etc.) for students will not be accepted at the Front Office.

Parents coming to eat with their child must check in with the Front Office to get a Visitor's pass, then take it to the courtyard to wait for their child. Please arrive early so you don't miss your child's lunch time. 

Parents dropping off food or a lunchbox for their child will leave it on the wooden desk in the Front Lobby and the office staff will contact the teacher. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your child's assigned lunch time. If you do not arrive early enough for your child to come retrieve it, parents will be asked to check in and obtain a Visitor's pass to deliver it to them in the Cafeteria.

Thank you!

We have several students who walk home and lots of families that park along the street and walk up to the school. Please remember to slow down when approaching our school. In the OHT parent pickup loop and parking lot, the speed limit is 10MPH.

The surrounding areas are 20MPH.

Thank you for helping keep our OHT community safe!

Please be sure to communicate with your child's teacher and send a note in if they will be absent. Once a student has accrued 3 unexcused absences in the system, NISD will generate an Attendance Warning Notice that will be emailed to the parent/guardian. This Attendance Warning Notice is added to your child's school record. An example of what you will receive is shown here.

The OHT PTA helps support students AND teachers! Joining PTA helps us provide that support. Some of the events they help host are:

• Field Trips
• Trunk-or-Treat
• Winter Wonderland Dance
• Movie Night
• Glow Party
• and MUCH MORE!!

For just $8, you can help support our school and our students!

CLICK HERE to join!

Your child will be taking their Beginning of Year MAP Test soon. Math & Reading will be assessed in August to all 2nd-5th grade students. Kinder and 1st Grade will be assessed in September. Please watch the video below to learn more about the MAP Assessment.

What is MAP Growth? Click HERE to learn more about MAP.

The safety and security of our students, staff, and families is a major priority at OHT!

Click HERE to read about the Safety Initiatives in NISD for the 2025-2026 school year and learn more about our Standard Response Protocol.