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I’m One with Poe; Poe Is with Me

Wow–what a stellar year for 5th graders! As we head into our final days at Poe, our hearts are full of gratitude for our beloved, wonderful Poe teachers and staff. You’ve not only taught our children educational lessons, but you’ve given them life lessons that will guide them as they leap into middle school and beyond. Plus, their amazing fine arts education will continue to fill them with joy. They will surely remember their Poe days as some of the best times of their lives.

We want to give a HUGE thank you to these 5th-grade parents for taking on the big events: Alisa McGinty and Sofi Simotas (Colonial Day), Beth Abel (T-shirts), Dorian Gray (Kemah field trip), and Anjanette Blewer (graduation). You all made this year extra memorable and fun. Also, many thanks to the incredible room parents, field trip chaperones, and many others who pitched in and made it a great last year for all the students.

May Poe be with you,

Julie Axelrad and Michelle Dugan



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Social of the Week – Friday, April 21st

Need a night out? Get a babysitter and join us for this great social on Friday, April 21st. Click here to purchase and sign-up.

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5th Grade Graduation Slideshow – Deadline April 1st

We need your photos for the Graduation Slideshow! Please upload a baby or toddler photo of your child to Dropbox (see instructions below). Make sure you input your CHILD’S NAME in the boxes that require a name.

  • Parents can upload one baby picture using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/QrfwCrTOQLiGgaLJfqz9?oref=e  
  • No sign-in required but for tracking purposes the link will request a first name, last name, and email. Please input your child’s first and last name.
  • While a nice clear image is best, please try to keep the file size below 3 MB.
  • Send questions to [email protected]
  • Submission deadline is April 1st.  


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All Art Day delayed until Friday, April 7th

Our forecast for this Friday ranges from 40% to 50% to 90% thunderstorms so All Art Day is delayed until Friday, April 7th. This is a day the kids look forward to all year and we want to maximize their experience with a good forecast! We know your kids will be disappointed but imagine if they chalked in the morning only to watch it all wash away in the afternoon.

If it rains that day, our next make-up day is the following Thursday, April 13th.

Friday, March 10th will be a usual instructional day.



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Poe PTO Leadership Volunteers Needed!

We need volunteers for the Budget Committee, Nominating Committee, Executive Committee and Board of Directors! The PTO is soliciting interest in numerous opportunities to support the leadership of the PTO for the 2017 – 2018 school year.

Please complete the Volunteer Interest form prior to Friday, March 24th to express your interest in serving in one of these areas. You may view detailed descriptions of each position at the Volunteer Opportunities Descriptions link 

BUDGET COMMITEE: The Budget Committee consists of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, VP-Finance, VP-VIPS Administrative, School Principal, one Teacher Representative, and two PTO Members.  Prior to April 30th the Budget Committee will meet two (2) times to draft a proposed budget covering the time period from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017. The draft budget is based upon past performance, Budget Committee, Board, and School Principal input, and contains estimated income and non-capital expenses for the PTO. The draft budget is then provided to the Executive Committee fourteen (14) days and to the entire PTO membership seven (7) days prior to the May PTO meeting. The general PTO membership votes at the May PTO meeting on the proposed budget for the 2017 – 2018 school year.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Recommends a slate of nominees for the Executive Board, Committee Chairs and other Board positions to be considered for approval by the Board at its May Board meeting and elected by the PTO members at the May PTO meeting. Total nominating committee members will be five (5) determined from a slate of ten (10) and elected by a majority vote of the PTO Board prior to March 31st. Nominating Committee members will meet two times between April 1st and April 15th to develop a recommended slate.

EXECUTIVE BOARD: Consists of President, Past President, President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President Budget/Finance, Vice-President VIPS/Membership, Vice-President Administration and School Principal. The Executive Board shall conduct the business of the Board and the Poe PTO between Board meetings as is reasonable and appropriate, and the Board may otherwise delegate specific authority and responsibility to the Executive Board to carry out activities and functions of the Poe PTO. The Executive Board meets monthly prior to the upcoming monthly PTO Meeting. Positions are for one-year terms beginning July 1st and ending June 30th.

PTO BOARD: Consists of Executive Board members of the PTO and the persons who are the Chair and/or Co-Chairs of the PTO Committees. Committee Chair(s) are delegated the authority and responsibility to see that the functions of their project or committee are organized and performed, and they shall report directly to the Executive Committee. The Chair(s) are authorized to organize other volunteers to assist them in carrying out their project or committee’s functions, and may determine how many volunteers are needed, and who they are. The Chairs shall keep files reflecting their work, contacts, and expenditures. Positions are for one-year terms beginning July 1st and ending June 30th.

If you have a specific interest or question about volunteer opportunities, please feel free to contact Leslie Wubbenhorst, Poe PTO President Elect, at [email protected]  or (713) 829-0594.

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All Art Day – THIS Friday!!!

All Art Day is this Friday, March 10th!

T-shirts are on sale before and after school for $6 Youth and $10 Adult. Students may wear their Art Day t-shirts (and any All Art Day shirts from previous years) all this week with their khaki bottoms.

Parents are invited to join their children throughout the day or volunteer when available. Please click this link for the schedule and All Art Day chalking map.

If you have questions about volunteering, please contact Paige Fajkus at [email protected]

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Track Try-Outs

Track try-outs for students in grades 3-5 are this coming Tuesday, February 21 after school. Contact Mrs. Suttles at [email protected] for more details if you need them. Kids are timed and ranked and the fastest times and runners make the track team. This is a competitive team that will go to track meets against other schools.

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Chili’s Gives Back

Let Chili’s do the cooking while we support Poe Elementary! Eat at Chili’s Buffalo Speedway location any time between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22nd and Chili’s will donate 15% of the event day sales to Poe Elementary. Chili’s Gives Back

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Book Fair Bookmark Design Contest

Save the date – This year’s Book fair is being held from Monday, December 5th to Friday, December 9th.

Our theme is “POEKEMON BOOK FAIR: GOTTA READ ‘EM ALL!“.

Encourage your kids to participate in the Book Fair Bookmark Design Contest!

We are looking for SIX special bookmark designs from our own Poe students to be sold at the annual Poe Book Fair in December!

Download the bookmark entry form to use the space provided for your child’s design. The design is your child’s choice but all artwork must be completed by a student. Stickers and other possibly copy written artwork cannot be included. One entry per student is allowed. Submit the entry form with your child’s design to the school front office no later than 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 18th. Place them in the box labeled “Book Fair Bookmarks”.
Winning designs will be announced the week before Book Fair. There will be a winner from each grade level (six winners in all) and each winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to be used at the Book Fair.

Bookmark Design Contest Form

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4th & 5th Grade Magnet Information Meeting

Parents of our fourth and fifth grade students will have an opportunity to visit with some of the magnet middle school coordinators to learn about the various magnet programs offered in HISD. The school representatives will also be able to answer questions that you may have about the application process.

4th and 5th Grade

Magnet Information Meeting

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

8:15 am – 9:45 am

In the Poe Cafeteria

 

Meet representatives from: Lanier World School (Vanguard), Meyerland PVA (Johnston) (Performing and Visual Arts), Pershing (Fine Arts), Pin Oak (Languages) Hamilton (Vanguard), Fondren World School (IB), Hogg (STEM), Marshall (Fine Arts)  Revere (STEM) and possibly more

For additional questions, contact Sara Williams, Magnet/IB Coordinator, in the school office.

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PROPOSITION I: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RECAPTURE

Did you miss the October PTO meeting? Want to know more about Houston ISD Proposition I: Authorizing the board of trustees of Houston Independent School District to purchase attendance credits from the state with local tax revenues? $162 million “Robin Hood” payment is on the November ballot. Visit this link to get more information from the HISD website.

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Cub Scout Pack 11 Annual Popcorn Sale

Please support Cub Scout Pack 11 at their Annual Popcorn Sale at Poe Elementary on Wednesday, September 21st. Please join us before school at the “Front Entrance” from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. or after school on the “North Deck” (Hazard St. & North Blvd) from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Scouts sell popcorn as a fundraiser for Pack 11. We ask for your help so we can continue to promote character development, citizenship and service in our neighborhood kids. Our scouts make an oath to become physically, mentally and morally fit and your donations will help them succeed in these goals.

General donations will be gladly accepted and very much appreciated. Checks can be made payable to Pack 11 and dropped off at the Annual Popcorn Sale or mailed to Matthew Moore 2242 Sul Ross, Houston, TX 77098.

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See what happens when you give the weatherman an umbrella!

travis-herzog

Thank you, Travis Herzog, for visiting Poe this morning. We learned about hurricanes and lightning and tornadoes and to “Turn around, don’t drown.” Ask your 4th and 5th graders what they learned today when they come home.

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5th Grade Parent Meeting

All 5th-grade parents are invited to meet on Tuesday, September 20th at 8 a.m. in the Poe Elementary cafeteria. The 5th-grade Committee Chairs and a 5th-grade teacher will share information about upcoming activities specific to 5th grade for this year – Colonial Day, Science Camp, Yearbook, Kemah and the 5th-grade activity fee. Bring your questions (and your cash/checkbook/credit card if you want to pay your activity fee of $40 or pay online here.)

Tuesday, September 20th

8:00 a.m. Poe Elementary Cafeteria

Thank you,
5th Grade VIPS Chairs Michelle Dugan and Julie Axelrad

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Fine Arts Career Week

fine-arts-career-week

CALLING ALL ARTISTS!

Are you a painter, writer, dancer, photographer, athlete, percussionist, actor, costume designer, sculptor, storyteller, filmmaker, music conductor, chef, graphic designer, choreographer, singer, jewelry maker, or other? WE WANT YOU! Do you know of anyone?  WE WANT THEM!

We are looking for inspiring people to come and share their passion with the students during this exciting week. The students and faculty of Poe Elementary School are very excited about our upcoming Fine Arts Career Week.  As an HISD Fine Arts Magnet School, Poe celebrates creativity and the importance of arts education.  This annual Fine Arts Career Week is an important tradition at Poe, and gives hundreds of students the opportunity to learn about the wide variety of careers possible in creative fields.  We would love to have you share your passion and experience with students at Poe, and hope you are able to join us this year.

As a Guest Artist at Career Week we ask that your time with the children be split into two sections: begin with an introduction and discussion / presentation of your passion (equipment, demonstrations, inspiration, imagery, experiences), and then lead an interactive / participatory activity for the students.   A sample hands-on project might be to have students engage in writing a short story with illustrations, create a newspaper headline, write a poem, etc. Anything you think might capture the imagination of 5-11 year olds over each 50 minute class period.

Guest Artists are asked to commit to a 3-hour block of time, during which you will present to 3 different classes.  You will repeat your 50 minute presentation / demonstration 3 times.

Presentation / session times are Monday, September 26th to Friday, September 30th:

Morning – 8:30am to 11:10am (Grades 3rd – 5th)

(Lunch provided 11:15-12:15)

Afternoon – 12:20pm to 3:00pm (Grades Kindergarten – 2nd)

All Guest Artists are also cordially invited to join us for lunch on the day of your presentation – immediately following the morning session, and immediately preceding the afternoon session. We are pleased to partner with some of the best restaurants in the area for our guest lunches all week!

Please let us know which day and time period (Morning or Afternoon) work for you and your schedule. Feel free to provide multiple days and times if your schedule is more flexible.  If you are interested but need to discuss schedule in more detail or work out a creative schedule, we can work it out. The sooner you can confirm your interest, the more time slots will be available from which to choose, so please let us know at your very earliest convenience.

Contact us with any questions at all. Thank you in advance for your participation in this very popular and enriching experience for the students of Poe Elementary School.

Yasmin Kazzaz, Paige Fajkus, Allison Teheng and Jennifer DeLange             [email protected]

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New Cafeteria Tables

Thank you PTO for the new cafeteria tables! This was a $20,000+ project approved in the PTO capital budget. The kids are already using the tables and love them! A big special thank you goes to Dana Blume Duplantis for managing this project!cafeteria-tables

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Purchase Poe Pride Logo Merchandise

By popular demand, the PTO plans to order for the t-shirts worn by the PTO volunteers at the back-to-school nights. T-shirts are $18 and come in adult sizes – XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL. Place your order by Friday, September 9th to guarantee that we order enough in your size. Other logo merchandise available includes  umbrellas, yards signs, car magnets and pencils. Purchase online at the Poe Pride Store or at any PTO meeting or event. You merchandise will be delivered to your oldest child’s classroom or picked up at any Poe PTO event with a copy of the receipt. Click to visit the Poe Pride Store.

 

Logo Website

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Register NOW to volunteer in school or with the Poe PTO!

Poe Elementary strives to provide a safe and respectful environment for all of our students, teachers and loved ones. Thank you for helping ensure that safety is a top priority.  All volunteers working with children must complete the Volunteers in Public School (VIPS) registration process which includes HISD background checks and registering with the Poe front office. These steps need to be completed attend field trips, assist in the classroom, tutor, etc. This registration is not required to attend class parties. Please follow the steps below well in advance of a volunteering in the school or with the Poe PTO.

Each Poe Volunteer MUST be registered and cleared with the VIPS program.  New volunteers can complete their VIPS registration now by following this link. IF VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED for VIPS in the past and were active last year they do not have to register again through the website, they just have to bring in their ID to the school office.

NEW VOLUNTEERS:

Step 1:  Click on the link to “Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS)” and follow the directions. Click on “How can I lend a hand? Register Now!”

Step 2:  After registering online, you must personally provide proof of identification in the front office. (Acceptable forms of identification include Texas Driver’s License, Official Passport, Texas Identification Card, Official U. S. Military ID, other U.S. Driver’s License, Matricula Consular).

Step 3:  Identification information will be processed by HISD VIPS database. Criminal history background check can take 2-3 weeks to complete. Once you are CLEARED to volunteer, you are eligible to volunteer throughout HISD. You will be required to complete the check each year.

Step 4: Sign in and out of the VIPS binder in the front office each time you volunteer on campus. You will receive a volunteer/visitor sticker to wear while you are on campus.

RETURNING VOLUNTEERS.

Step 1: Take your proof of identification to the front office.

Step 2: Once HISD VIPS has processed the background check, you will sign in & out of the VIPS binder and receive a volunteer/visitor sticker from the front office every time you visit campus.

For questions, please email VP-VIPS Communication at [email protected].

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Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school and an exciting 2016 – 2017 school year at Poe Elementary. We are so excited to launch our new website that brings all of our forms to you in digital format. You can now join the PTO, order and pay for school supplies and uniforms, sign-up for volunteer positions, purchase tickets to carnival and auction plus so much more!

Below is your Back-to-School checklist:

  1. Read welcome letter from PTO President
  2. Order school supplies
  3. Order school uniforms
  4. Join the PTO
  5. Subscribe to The Raven – the Poe PTO weekly email blast
  6. Submit the school directory form
  7. Order a yearbook
  8. Submit your volunteer interests
  9. Check out the 2016 – 2017 calendar of events
  10. Save the date:

Download the Packet in English

Download the packet in Spanish