April 2024 | Monthly Newsletter |
La asociación de padres de Field Elementary prioriza la capacidad de proporcionar nuestra publicación mensual de boletines en español. Para leer este boletín, haga clic en la parte superior de su correo electrónico para verlo en el navegador web y seleccione "español" en el menú a la derecha de la pagina web. ¿Necesita ayuda para encontrar la traducción, envíenos un correo electrónico a fieldespto.communications@gmail.com? ¡Gracias! |
Building Together: How Field Elementary Families Can Beautify Our School Patrick Shimek - Campus Improvement Chair
Field Elementary is more than just a place of learning; it's a home away from home for our students. A vibrant and beautiful campus can foster a positive learning environment, spark creativity, and boost school spirit. That's why campus improvement is a cause we can all get behind! Growing up, I used to marvel at my dad and mom for the support they offered my school. My mom was a cafeteria worker; she took pride in perfecting her support for my school, setting an example of how it was our school and our community. One thing my wife and I decided long ago when our oldest was little and starting to visit parks, was that we valued the importance of wanting to build the community we wished to see. Two years into being the Campus Improvement chair at Field Elementary, when I felt I wanted to mirror what I had grown up with, which was taking care of our community with a sense of pride. While large-scale projects are fantastic, every contribution, no matter how small, makes a big difference. Here's how Field Elementary families can join the beautification movement: - Lending a Green Thumb: Volunteer for our Field of Dreamers school garden projects! Plant flowers, help students with gardening, or donate seeds and gardening tools. A flourishing garden not only adds a pop of color but also provides a valuable learning experience for students about nature and sustainability.
- Channel Your Inner Artist: Do you have a creative streak? Participate in mural painting days! Liven up hallways or the cafeteria with colorful artwork that reflects our school spirit. Even chalk art creations can add a cheerful touch to walkways.
- Into Recycling: Donate gently used household and clothing items to our recycling bin.
- Support our Monthly Beautification Events: Sign up for opportunities to beautify the school each month. Stay tuned for our next event to help pick up trash, rake leaves, pull weeds, and more!
- Spread the Cheer: Organize a classroom decoration drive! Colorful decorations, inspiring posters, or potted plants can brighten learning spaces and create a more inviting atmosphere.
Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Let's work together to make Field Elementary a beautiful and inspiring place to learn and grow! Remember, many hands make light work, and the combined efforts of our school family can create a truly remarkable campus. |
Field Sprouts Green Roots: Trees for Houston Donates Trees and Lights Up Our Campus! Today is special as we added 20+ donated trees to our beautiful Field campus, thanks to Trees for Houston! Our Field Garden Clubs and other available classes were invited to observe and receive a demonstration from the vendors and volunteers.
Vitol, an energy and commodities trading company in Houston, sponsored the event and sent volunteers to plant the trees (including two pear trees)!
The volunteers had a blast watching the kids play in the Gaga pit and even joined in on the fun themselves!
What a beautiful addition to our campus! We can't wait to watch them grow and thank Carissa Sullivan, Patrick Shimek, and Ebony Porter for leading this initiative. |
A message of gratitude from our Taste of Field Chair Taste of Field was a dream born out of the need for more engagement from our Field Elementary School community. The aftereffects of the pandemic's long-lasting impact were reflected in the learning loss experienced by our children and our need to bind our social fabric back together. How do we increase parental involvement? How do we encourage participation from people who don’t usually get involved? How do we build a sense of community that resonates with and is inclusive of our diverse school population? How do we harness the individual and collective talents and potential of all members of the Field community? The answers to these questions have been the foundation for Taste of Field, and the need for fellowship and belonging has been its fuel.
In its third year, Taste of Field continues to grow and offers a space for participation, collaboration, and celebration. This year, we had over 50 different types of bakery items and close to 30 different savory dishes. Our returning bakers and cooks from previous years joined a new batch of bakers, cooks, and grill masters! Our own PTO Dad’s Club made delicious contributions to the menu. The pride and care exhibited in the craftsmanship of every baked good and food made was genuinely unique. The food was delicious! The time devoted by our parent volunteers to help with every facet of this event has been a blessing. The continued support of the Field’s Staff and Teachers has been invaluable. Our children are excited to be part of an event where their culture and what they eat at home can be celebrated and shared with their classmates, friends, teachers & staff, and the Heights neighborhood. Most importantly, Taste of Field was supported by our incredibly robust Parent Teacher Organization, Field ES PTO, and this event has bloomed because of the strengths and values of this organization.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who participated, contributed, and attended Taste of Field 2024! We are grateful for all the donors, sponsors, and community partners who supported ToF: Allstate Insurance Valerie Balke; Doug Barbershop; Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Pediatrix Medical Group; Winstead PC Houston, Bliss on 19th, Headlock Hot Sauce, and Throne Rangers Luxury Mobile Restrooms, Hamilton Middle School, Hamilton’s NJHS volunteers, Height HS NHS volunteers, Field ES NEHS, Mr. Leo Entertainment, Mariana’s Artistic Services, and The Texas Bubblers and all our bakers, cooks, and master grillers.
Let’s keep this dream alive and continue to make Taste of Field a tradition year after year!
Lastly, I have been a member of the PTO for the last two years. I am proud to work alongside a solid, down-to-earth, hardworking, fun, and inspiring group of individuals. I encourage all existing and new parents and families to take advantage of our organization and become involved in any of the varied opportunities we provide, such as in-person/virtual general PTO meetings, Spirit Night Events, Community Events, PTO Board, Fundraising Events, and school support activities. Our upcoming PTO Board (Positions and Committees) elections for the school year 2024-2025 will be in May. Every little bit helps, and all talents, abilities, ideas, and resources are welcome!
Thank you,
Erika Cesar-Collins
Taste of Field Event Coordinator
Co-Chair Parental Involvement (Community), Field Elementary PTO |
Click below to check out a recap of this year's event! |
Our second annual Field Elementary Fine Arts Career day took place last month and we couldn’t have had a better day! Our local arts community spent their time illustrating, sculpting, and creating a world of possibilities for our Field Lions! What a way to highlight and explore the diverse career options the arts has to offer! 🦁🎨
THANK YOU to each Arts Professional, Creative, and Enthusiast who joined us for Field’s Fine Arts Career Day and to our incredible Fine Arts Liaisons Jessica Nieto and Carmen Willoughby for inspiring a day of art for our students!! 🩰🎸🖼️
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Click below to check out a recap of this year's Fine Arts Career Day! |
Solar Eclipse fun at Field! 🌞🌑 The Field PTO is excited to have sponsored solar eclipse glasses for our students, teachers, staff, and parent volunteers. It started out cloudy, but we were happy to see a break in the clouds! 🌞✨
A huge thanks to all the amazing families and businesses who support our PTO and make events like this possible – your generosity makes it all happen! Thank you to our teachers and staff for facilitating a memorable and educational eclipse experience for our students! 🤩 Mark your calendars. The next solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 23, 2044, just 20 years away. |
Join the excitement and support the Field PTO by attending our fun-filled afternoon of baseball action, food, friends & community spirit on Sunday, April 28th, at Rice University’s Reckling Park! 🎉⚾️
Seeing the Rice Owls play ball while sitting with your Field friends will surely be a “hit” with your family! 😉
🎟️ Don’t miss out - Get your tickets today at RiceOwls.com/FieldES. Tickets are $12 and will go quickly! |
📣 It’s almost that time of year again! Our PTO Board elections are coming soon! All positions are up for election, as we’d like to give anyone who might be interested an opportunity to express interest and potentially co-chair! For more information and to view position descriptions, visit fieldespto.org/ptoboardelections
Have questions? Interested in joining the board or committee in any capacity? Email us at info.fieldespto@gmail.com
We would love for YOU to be on the Field PTO Board and are already looking forward to an amazing 2024-2025 school year! 💙🐾
➡️ Elections will be held at the final General PTO meeting on Wednesday, May 8th! |
Get ready to celebrate our FIRST CLASS Teachers & Staff at Field! Our Teacher and Staff Appreciation week will take place May 13-17th. |
HISD released the approved academic calendar for the 2024-2025 school year The first day of school for students will be August 12, 2024, and the last day of school for students will be June 4, 2025.
Click the image to download the document. |
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| HISD Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) VIPS approval is required to volunteer on campus, chaperone on field trips and visit your student(s) for Parent Lunch Week. Click here to begin!
All volunteers must reapply each school year. Please forward your approval email to Ms. Q at Raisa.Quintero@houstonisd.org |
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Orders will be delivered to your student's homeroom teacher. Please list the student's first and last name as well as their homeroom teacher. |
Field Art Contest Shirt created by Nash Garrett, 2nd Grade |
📣 NEW to the Field Spirit Store, designed by our very own Field student, Nash!
Field’s student body and greater community voted this super fun shirt as # 1 during our first ever Student T-Shirt Design Contest! All proceeds will support Field’s Art Program. Available in Child and Adult sizes. Visit the Field Spirit Store to order! |
 Historic Field shirt Available in youth sizes (long sleeve) and adult sizes (short sleeve only)here |
|  Birthday Marquee Message Wish your child a Happy Birthday on the Field Marquee! Orders should be placed at least a week before the needed date. Purchase here! |
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We hope you'll consider joining a committee, volunteering for school and PTO events and donating to Field!
Here is how the PTO supported Field students and staff during the 2022-2023 school year thanks to the support of our amazing parents and community! |
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| Communication Class Dojo is the main form of communication used by Field admin and teachers. Stay up to date with the latest from the PTO on social channels, as we help to share information provided by the school.
Please follow Field Elementary PTO on our social media platforms and check our website often to stay up to date on all things Field! School website
PTO Website
PTO Instagram
PTO Facebook |
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| Ideas, Comments or Suggestions? The Field PTO team is always striving to be the best to support our school and community. Have a suggestion or idea you'd like to share with Field PTO? Send us a note! We are a community, and every voice is essential. Your comments can be anonymous if you prefer. The suggestions box is located in the front of the school near Ms. Q's office email us at fieldespto.suggestions@gmail.com |
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| Recap of PTO Meetings & Treasurer's Reports Couldn't make the last PTO Meeting? You can find the meeting minutes here, as well as the Treasurer's Reports.
Join us Wednesday, April 17th for the April General PTO Meeting. |
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| Teacher and Staff Wish Lists & Favorites Our amazing Teachers and Staff are pouring their hearts and souls into our little ones every. single. day! Let’s help clear their Amazon Classroom Wish Lists and Donors Choose items for these incredible educators!
Want to learn more about a Teacher or Staff Member at Field? Check out their personal favorites!
Want to help even more? SHARE THIS LINK!
We are so proud and appreciative of this incredibly generous community and we know that together we can help make a huge impact this year for our teachers (students and parents)! |
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 HISD 23-24 Academic Calendar Click here for the 2023-2024 HISD calendar. |
|  School Lunch Information Curious what's for lunch, check out School Café. A log in is not needed, and you can view as guest. (Breakfast and lunch are free for all Field students this year!) |
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Parent Lunch Week Mark your calendars -- Parents/guardians who have been approved via the HISD VIPS program can now come to lunch with students! One week each month on Wednesday-Friday, parents will be afforded quality time at lunch. External food is allowed! Please plan to arrive 5-10 minutes before the student's lunchtime for check-in with Ms. Q. Please look out for more information from Field administration.
Final Parent Lunch Week for the school year takes place on: |
| VIPS Approved Not VIPS certified? Volunteers in Public Schools, VIPS, is an annual background check through HISD for all volunteers who help assist public schools. ALL Field parents/guardians who want to volunteer or attend lunch visits for the 2023-2024 school year must register online.
Ready to register? Click Here! |
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| Previous Lion's Roar Newsletters Access previous PTO newsletters here. |
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The PTO could not do all of the amazing things it does without the dedicated group of volunteers who are so generous with their time and efforts. Involvement with the PTO is a wonderful way to get to know the school, staff, students, and other parents. There are many different ways to get involved. We encourage you to learn more about the events and activities that the PTO sponsors and volunteer where you can. Please note that all volunteers who will be working with students on campus or on field trips need to be registered through the school district’s Volunteers in Public Schools program, or VIPS. VIPS requires all volunteers to register annually. For more information, click here. |
| Field of Dreamers Garden Club We are excited to announce we are kicking off our Field of Dreamers Garden Club for our third season!
This amazing program, is run by parent volunteers who donate 25 minutes of their time every Tuesday and Wednesday. .
In this small amount of time students connect with the Earth, plant a thing or two, learn where their food comes from, sample fresh herbs or lettuce depending on what's growing, get a little dirty and explore the wonders of nature. So much goes on in those 7 beds at the front - you would be amazed! We also want to bring the students to the Butterfly Garden that was built and funded by grants and parent volunteers last year. The Butterfly Garden is located outside the PE room.
If you have 25 minutes to spare, please let us know. You may reach Ebony Porter at campfirequilts@gmail.com . More information can be found here.
Sign up here for Pre-K, K, 1st and SPED classes (Tuesdays)
Sign up here for 2nd grade classes (Wednesdays) |
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| Dollar Dress Friday - May 3 Dollar Dress Friday Volunteers are needed to collect $1 and issue stamps to our fashionably dressed students. Volunteers should be available Friday morning to help from 7:00-7:45am. Volunteers must be registered and approved through the VIPS system. This is a fun and easy way to help the PTO raise funds for our Field Lions 🦁!
Click here to sign up!
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LOOKING AHEAD - SAVE THE DATE |
| General PTO Meeting - April 17 Join us for the April General PTO meeting on Wednesday, April 17th under the pavilion! (Bring your own chair or blanket) |
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| Spirit Night @ Flying Fish - April 19 Join us at Flying Fish Friday, April 19th for Spirit Night!
Show this image and mention Field when placing your order.
Can’t stay? You can still support Field by ordering yummy takeout!20% of the sales will be donated to Field.
📍 1815 N Durham St |
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| Rice Owls Baseball Spirit Game - April 28 Get ready to show your Field pride and spirit while cheering on the Rice Owls!
Join us for Spirit Night as Rice Baseball plays UTSA, Sunday, April 28th.
Click here to purchase tickets! |
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| Dollar Dress Friday - May 3 Dollar Dress Friday takes place the first Friday of each month (unless otherwise noted). Donate $1 donation to the PTO and receive a free dress stamp for the day. Students must wear school-appropriate clothing. PTO volunteers will be at the school to hand out stamps to fashionably dressed Field Lions! |
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| Parent Lunch Week - May 8, 9, & 10 Parents/guardians who have been approved via the HISD VIPS program can now join their students for lunch! One week each month, parents will be afforded quality time at lunch. External food is allowed! Please plan to arrive 5-10 minutes before the student's lunchtime for check-in with Ms. Q. |
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| Final General PTO Meeting & Elections - May 8 Join us for the final General PTO meeting on Wednesday, May 8th under the pavilion! (Bring your own chair or blanket) |
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| Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week - May 13-17 Get ready to celebrate our FIRST CLASS Teachers & Staff at Field! Our Teacher and Staff Appreciation week will take place May 13-17th. |
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Like to plan in advance? Bookmark this page and check back often for an expanded view of events and programs at Field Elementary! |
Donations are always accepted! All donations directly support Field Elementary and the programs and events our organization offers. No amount is too small - please consider making a donation today! |
| BOX TOPS MAKES IT EASY! All you need is your phone! Download the Box Tops app, shop as you normally would, then use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase. The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit Field's earnings online. Twice a year, Field will receive a check and can use that cash to support the school! |
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| Once logged into your Kroger account, search for Field Elementary PTO or KX612 and then click Enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card. *Customers must have a registered Kroger rewards card account |
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| You save 20%, Field Elementary gets 15% back!
Enjoy 20% off Minted’s unique stationery, children’s art, holiday cards, and gifts when you shop using our exclusive discount code, and they’ll donate 15% back to us. It’s a win-win!!
Field Elementary's unique promo code: FUNDRAISEFEPTO |
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| Our school is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels! If you’re not familiar with Mabel’s Labels, they are personalized, durable, waterproof labels. They are great for everything from shoes, clothing tags, water bottles and backpacks. You can customize them with your name and a design, and they are dishwasher, laundry and microwave safe.
Mabel’s Labels also offers clothing stamps, silicone bands for water bottles and medical alert labels. This is a great way to ensure your items don’t end up in the lost & found or mixed up . To reduce the spread of germs, we highly recommend labelling but they are also useful for everyday life.
To support our fundraiser, visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select Field Elementary School PTO. You can pick out whatever labels or product you want, and it will ship for free directly to your house! Thank you for supporting us! |
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We've officially joined Green City Recycler 2023-2024 school recycling competition! Drop off unwanted clothes, shoes, and household linens at the Green City Recycler pod on E. 18th St. $0.10/lb will go back to our Field of Dreamers Garden Club!
Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment while also supporting the Field Garden club AND winning big for our school! The recycling competition goes through the end of the school year. |
Don't forget your company's gift matching program! Corporate matching gift programs match cash donations made by their employees (parents/guardians/family members) to non-profit organizations. Take advantage of this matching opportunity and your Field Elementary contributions can easily be doubled (or even tripled)! Corporate matching provides a substantial amount of extra donations to help our wonderful school. More information can be found here!
Double the Donation is a great site to see if your company has a gift matching program. Check it out here! |
| | Friday, April 12 | | | Saturday, April 13 | | | Sunday, April 14 | | | Monday, April 15 | | | Tuesday, April 16 | | | | | Wednesday, April 17 | | | | Thursday, April 18 | |
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Stay connected with the Field ES PTO. Follow us on social media via Facebook and Instagram. |
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