September OHT Family Newsletter

Help us welcome our newest Owl, 4th Grade Teacher, Mrs. Linda Lassiter!

September is Attendance Awareness Month and to kick things off, Tuesday, Sept. 2nd is Crayon Day! When we come to school, our future is so bright!

Wear the color of your grade level on Tuesday! If you do not fit into 1 grade level, pick your favorite color!

Pre-K/ECSE/Kinder = Purple

1st Grade= Blue

2nd Grade= Green

3rd Grade= Yellow

4th Grade= Orange

5th Grade= Red

September is Attendance Awareness Month and we want to encourage great attendance!

To celebrate exceptional attendance, any OHT student who has:
ZERO absences (excused or unexcused), 
ZERO tardies, 
and ZERO early outs 
for the entire month of September will be invited to a popsicle party in October.

🏆It's going to be a clash of the classes! This month in celebration of Attendance Awareness, each class will work to have the best attendance!

The top 3 classes at OHT with the highest attendance percentage for the month of September will win a party! Each week, current standings will be shared. Your class could take the cake! 

🏆1st Place will win a Pizza Party!
🏆2nd Place will win a Donut Party!
🏆3rd Place will win a Popcorn Party!

Each Monday in the month of September, we are kicking off the week with a special dress-up day. 
Join in on the fun and celebrate coming to school!

Week 1- Mon, Sept. 8: Sports Day
We can win with great attendance!
Show your team spirit and wear your favorite jersey.

Week 2- Mon, Sept. 15: School Colors Day
Two colors, one goal: Great Attendance!
Wear all blue or all yellow from head to toe.

Week 3- Mon, Sept. 22: Jungle Safari Day
Don't let your attendance go wild!
Wear animal print, safari hats, khaki, or jungle explorer gear.

Week 4- Mon, Sept. 29: Twin Squad Day
Better together, attend together!
Dress like a friend or group- twins, trios, or quads.

Be on the lookout on ClassDojo each week because every Friday in the month of September will be "Fun Friday". We will share what exciting thing will be happening when you come to school on Fridays!

Come for fun, stay for learning! Join the OHT staff and PTA on Tues, Sept. 9th from 5:30-7:00p.m. in a night of family fun.

Schedule of Events
5:30-6:00p PTA Mtg & Title I Presentation
6:00p Bingo & Board Games for Kids (Cafeteria)
6:10p Open House, Session 1
6:40p Open House, Session 2

After the PTA mtg, students can stay in the Cafeteria & play games, while parents visit classrooms to learn more about their child’s grade level. 
We will offer 2 sessions for parents who have children in different grade levels. Childcare will be provided in the Cafeteria for children who can use the restroom independently.

Breakfast and lunch is free for all OHT students, however, students in Kindergarten-5th Grade have the option to purchase a snack at lunch time. Some of the prices have increased for the 25-26 school year, and we've included a menu with pricing here for you. The snacks offered change daily based on popularity and availability. If you would like to allow your child to purchase a snack, you may send them with cash or put money in their account electronically.

CLICK HERE to visit the SchoolCafé website and set up your child's account.

Are you a grandparent raising your grandchild? Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is dedicated to providing resources, services, and support to meet the unique needs and challenges of grandparenting.

CLICK HERE to learn more about their services.

NISD Threads is a a clothing closet that gives FREE gently used clothes to enrolled NISD students who need them. 

NISD students who need clothes can ask their school counselor for a referral to Northside Threads.
Parents of enrolled NISD students can also call their child’s school and ask the counselor for a referral to Northside Threads. 
A referral is required to get clothes. 

The NISD Market provides 25lbs of food a week at no charge for families that qualify. They are a partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank.

Open Tues-Thurs from 1:30-4:00p.m. Closed for all school holidays.

For more info, call 210-397-8930

Located at Northside Family Engagement Center, 5223 Blessing St., San Antonio, TX 78228

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.

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!

We are almost done with our beginning-of-the-year MAP testing. Kinder-5th Grade students are assessed 3 times a year in both Reading and Math. These adaptive assessments give our teachers in-depth information about how to best help your child make growth this school year. The information from MAP also helps us form our small groups so we can tailor our instruction to exactly what your child needs. Once all testing is complete, you will receive a Family Report that details your child's score and growth from prior years. 

Watch the video HERE to learn more!

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, & ALE 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, & ALE 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.
  • Parents exit the school building
  • Front Lobby doors close at this time and students walk to class independently
  • Cafeteria stops serving breakfast
  • Students eating breakfast head to class
  • Late arrival breakfast is served at Front Lobby doors
• 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.

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.

Please help keep our school a safe zone for all students by not smoking or vaping on campus, especially during Dismissal.

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!

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!

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.