Dear Families,
Happy October! 🍂 It is hard to believe how quickly the first weeks of school have flown by. We are so proud of the growth and excitement we see in our students each day. Thank you for continuing to partner with us in building strong foundations for learning.
This month, we encourage you to find simple ways at home to reinforce the skills your child is practicing at school:
Reading Together: Spend 10–15 minutes each evening reading aloud with your child. Pause to ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Which character is your favorite, and why?”
Math in Daily Life: Practice counting while setting the table, compare sizes when cooking or baking, or have your child help sort laundry by color or size.
Writing Fun: Keep a small journal or notepad where your child can draw pictures and label them with words or short sentences.
Science Exploration: Take a nature walk and look for signs of fall—changing leaves, acorns, or migrating birds. Talk about what you see and wonder together.
Play with Sounds and Letters: Say a word and have your child clap out the syllables, or play “I Spy” using beginning sounds (e.g., “I spy something that starts with /b/.”).
Small moments like these help strengthen skills while keeping learning joyful and connected to everyday life.
Thank you for all you do to support your child’s success. We are looking forward to a wonderful month of learning and discovery!
Warmly,
Ms. Duncan
This Week
Monday:
Tuesday: GT Information Night; CSP Title I meeting; VATRE Information meeting
Wednesday: National Homemade Cookie Day!
Thursday: Western Day; Custodian Appreciation Day; Thumbs Up Thursday
Friday: Campus Closed
Save the Date
October 6: PreK to Fire Station
October 7: Fall Pictures
October 9: End of Grading Period; Title I Meeting; Kinder field trip to Airport; First Grade field trip to HOT
October 10: Campus Closed
October 16: Math Night
October 17: Campus Closed
October 20: GT Nominations Window Opens
October 23: Kinder Field Trip to Western Bell
October 24: No School/Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 27-30: Red Ribbon Week
October 29: Kona Ice
October 30: Trunk or Treat; Storybook Character dress up day
October 31: Campus Closed
Click here to go directly to the full CSP calendar on our website.
News to know:
GT INFORMATIONAL MEETING: Parents interested in learning more about the CSISD Gifted and Talented program are invited to join us on Tuesday, September 30th from 6:00pm-7:00pm at the Elementary School GT room (103). This meeting is for prospective parents whose child(ren) does not already participate in GT services.
CPE TITLE 1 MEETINGS: We would love for the China Spring community to join us on September 30th at 8:15 am or October 6th at 6:30 pm at the Administration Building to learn more about how families, school staff, and students come together to share the responsibility of student achievement.
NATIONAL HOMEMADE COOKIE DAY: National Homemade Cookies Day is a day that celebrates the art of baking and enjoying delicious homemade cookies. One way to celebrate National Homemade Cookies Day is by baking cookies with kids. This is a great opportunity to teach kids about the joy of baking and help them develop their own love for homemade cookies. They can help measure ingredients, mix the dough, and even decorate the finished cookies.
WESTERN DAY: To celebrate the opening of the HOT Fair and Rodeo students may wear their best western get-up on Thursday, October 2nd. Please remember to send tennis shoes for PE on this day if your student is wearing their boots.
FALL PICTURE DAY: Fall picture day is Tuesday, October 7th. Please be on the lookout for a flyer in your student’s backpack so that you may order your student's school pictures.
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES: October 24th is one of our designated parent/teacher conference days. We would love to meet with every student's family. Teachers will be reaching out on Seesaw with their parent/teacher conference sign up sheets.
VATRE Information Meetings
China Spring ISD is hosting a series of Information Meetings about the upcoming Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE). Superintendent Dr. Marc Faulkner will review how school funding works, the impact of the VATRE on the school tax rate, and the ballot language voters will see in November.
Meeting Dates:
Tuesday, September 30: 6:00-7:00 pm at the China Spring ISD Administration Building - Register for this event
Tuesday, October 14: 5:30-6:30 pm VIRTUAL - Register for this event
More information is available at www.chinaspringisd.net/page/vatre.
Reminders
FIELD TRIP PROCEDURES: In order for parents/ guardians to attend a field trip with their child, they must first check in at China Spring Primary School and receive a visitor's badge. In order for a parent/guardian to be part of the group and interact with children other than their own, they must be an approved volunteer. Additionally, students will not be released to anyone that is not on their pick up list.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
90% Law: The state of Texas requires students to be present 90% of the school year in order to receive credit for their current grade level.
Attendance is taken every day at 9:30am. Your student must be on campus at this time to be counted present for the day.
When absent: Only 4 days total per semester can be excused by a PARENT NOTE (parent signed excuse). For all absences exceeding 4, a doctor’s note or other formal documentation is required. All excuse notes must be turned in to the Front Office within 3 school days of the student’s absence.
Additional attendance information can be found in our student handbook on the CSISD website.
25-26 BELL SCHEDULE: Our instructional school day is 7:50am-3:50pm. Campus opens at 7:00am to begin car rider drop off. Breakfast will be available for students from 7:00am-7:50am. The first instructional bell rings at 7:50am. Students arriving after this bell are tardy and must be signed in to the office by a parent. Every 3 tardies count as a student absence.
MORNING DROP OFF: A friendly reminder to please remain in your car at all times while in the drop off line. If your child is unable to open the door and exit the car independently, someone will come assist. If you would like to personally assist your student in exiting the car and steal a final hug and kiss, please park at the track and walk your student to the sidewalk. We are working diligently to keep vehicles off of the road and avoid traffic backing up to the light. Staying in your car helps the line move quickly and safely.
LUNCH VISITORS: Parents are now able to join their student for lunch. All visitors must present their government issued ID and check in at the office. Visitors will only be permitted if they are listed in the students' records. While visiting CSP during lunch, please remember:
Visitors are only permitted in the cafeteria and may not join students when returning to class.
Younger siblings are welcome to join in the fun, but they are expected to follow CSP lunch expectations to ensure safety for all students and staff. We appreciate your help in enforcing this.
Shout Outs
Ms. Wyatt: " You are such a fun person to work with. I am blessed to have you as my friend after all these years. You love your students, and it shows! "- Ms. Fuller
Ms. Craig: " Thank you for helping me each day; you have been a real blessing this year!" - Ms. Fuller
Ms. Fox: " Ms. Fox has a heart of gold! She saw a need and without reservation, she jumped right in and helped with a huge smile on her face! I am so thankful for her kind and joyful spirit!"- Ms. Engelman
Ms. Bush: "Mrs. Bush always steps up to help out! She sees a need and will do it without even being asked. Thanks for always being someone I can count on! You make CSP a great place to work!"- Ms. Iverson
Would you like to recognize a staff member that has made a lasting impression or has gone above and beyond? We would love your help in recognizing them! Please take a moment to fill out our Staff Shout-Out Form (linked below) and let us know about a staff member who deserves a little extra celebration. Your kind words go a long way in brightening their day and reminding them just how valued they are. 💙
Thank you for partnering with us in building a culture of appreciation and support for our staff!