SINCLAIR STARGAZER

“That old law about an eye

for an eye leaves everyone

blind. The time is always

right to do the right thing.”

“The function of education

is to teach one to think

intensively and to think

critically. Intelligence plus

character – that is the goal

of true education.”

Martin Luther King

Teacher Spotlight:

Mrs. Waters, 3rd Grade

This is her 7th year as a teacher

Likes Stir fried rice noodles and honey citron tea.

Mrs. Waters is a dedicated teacher often stays late for tutorials and to

prepare for the next day. Thank you Mrs. Waters for all that you do

to make your students successful. When asked about teaching she

said, “ I love the daily opportunities to touch young minds and hearts.

I believe teaching is an ancient and noble profession and feel privi-

leged to practice that profession helping these little ones grow.”

A Message from the Principal Happy New Year!

We had a historical rain event and a rare snowy day in the first semester of school

this year — I wonder what weather oddity is in store for the next semester of

school? Each day as I come to campus I think about how it has been a true pleasure

to be able to return to Sinclair in 2017. Regardless of the what the weather brings

us this year, I am looking forward to the new year and continuing to support Sin-

clair and our community.

During the first semester we relaxed our uniform policy due to Harvey. Please be

aware that Sinclair is a uniform school and all students are expected to be in uni-

form for the remainder of the school year. Information about our uniform policy

can be found online.

The school community has expressed an interest in exploring after-school options

other than our current provider which is the YMCA. I have created a survey which

I’m asking for input on and would like to hear from all whether you currently use

the YMCA for afterschool or not. Please take a few minutes to access the survey at

http://bit.ly/2CWvra8. The link can also be found on our website.

Sinclair Elementary Newsletter January 10, 2017

A message from the PTO

BOOSTERTHON is almost here! Please be on the lookout for more information about

our annual fundraiser. We are committed to using the funds raised this year to help

support a new literacy initiative as well as technology needs. in the upcoming year.

We have a PTO meeting scheduled for January 25th at 7:30 in the cafeteria. All Sin-

clair parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Magnet/Vanguard Coordinator Message As we ring in the new year, our superstars embark on their third rotation of magnet

classes. Over the next 9 weeks, students will produce a play from beginning to end

(including costuming and set design) in drama; translate their knowledge of beat and

rhythm to notes in music; use software to create unique print materials in digital me-

dia; and program lights and sounds to operate on an interactive display in STEM lab.

We have more exciting fine arts field trips planned this semester and are excited to

continue growing these experiences for Sinclair students. If you or someone you

know has a connection to the broadcast journalism community, marketing/

advertising/design careers, or STEM related fields, we would love to partner with

you. Please reach out to Rebecca.Nielsen@houstonisd.org if you have a field trip op-

portunity you would like to share.

There are a few upcoming application deadlines & updates:

Entering K GT Testing Application Deadline (Current PK Students ONLY) - Parents

of current PK students may apply for their student to be tested for the GT program

prior to entering kindergarten. Interested families should only apply if they have

not already scheduled GT testing through their magnet application. Testing applica-

tions may be downloaded from our website at: www.houstonisd.org/page/139510.

Note that applications must be submitted with a parent recommendation form

and both documents must be signed for the application to be considered com-

plete. Applications may be emailed to Rebecca.Nielsen@HoustonISD.org or deliv-

ered to our front office. Please do not send the application with your student to

deliver to his or her teacher, as the paperwork may get lost. The deadline to submit

an application is January 26th. Families may also refer to a letter sent home this

week with more information and an attached application.

Magnet Application — Families who applied for magnet transfers prior to De-

cember 8th will receive the results of the lottery on March 22nd. Your online parent

dashboard will be uploaded with the results on this date along with instructions on

action steps to take depending on your status.

GT Testing Results (K through 5) — We are wrapping up GT testing for all grade lev-

els this week. Test results are slated to be delivered to campuses by early March, at

which point scores, grades, and recommendations will be processed to determine

qualification. Final letters regarding qualification along with test scores will be sent

home by late March.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

JANUARY

January 10th Spirit Night Tacos A Go-Go, 5:00—8:00 pm

January 11th Awards Ceremony Kinder @ 8:20 am 1st @ 8:55 am 2nd @ 9:30 am

January 12th Awards Ceremony 5th@ 8:30 am 3rd@ 9:05 am 4th@ 9:45 am

January 15th MLK Day—NO SCHOOL

January 22nd

Boosterthon Kick-Off Register at funrun.com

January 23rd & 24th Spirit Nights Chick-Fil-A, 5:00—7:00 pm

January 25th

PTO Meeting Library, 7:15 am

January 26th

Entering K GT Testing Application Deadline (see letter or website)