Parent Newsletter Aug. 9

Posted Date: 08/09/26 (12:00 PM)

Terrell Koalas Chronicle

Your weekly parent update with all the information you need to know

August 9, 2026

Weekly Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We enjoyed welcoming our koalas back to the school for meet-the-teacher this week. We are looking forward to a wonderful launch to the school year.

Parents are welcome to walk their students to class on Tuesday between 7:15-7:45 AM. If you have not brought your school supplies yet, you may bring them in at this time. Please remember, if the parking lot is full, you may park on Candela Heights Dr. on the southbound side of the street only. Please pack your patience and show kindness and courtesy to other families and neighbors.

*If you have not yet completed your back-to-school forms in Skyward, this MUST be done before the first day of school! Please reach out to us for support if you are having issues with completing these.

We will be working to establish school routines and therefore will not have visitors on campus for lunches until Aug. 24th. Please be on the lookout for more updates from your teachers in next week's grade-level newsletters.

Please note: teacher requests or teacher change requests will not be accepted. Creating class lists is a thoughtful and collaborative process that considers many factors, including academic needs, learning styles, and balanced classroom environments.

We are confident in every member of our staff and know that all of our teachers are committed to supporting each child’s success. Thank you for trusting our team as we work to create the best possible learning experience for every Koalas.

Warm regards,

Brittany D. Carpenter

Principal, Terrell Elementary

Brittany.Carpenter@lcisd.org

You can also email our office admin - Monica.Cruz@lcisd.org

Back to School Events

Illustration for the First Day of School on August 11, featuring school supplies like a glue bottle, pencils, an alarm clock, and a globe.

Illustration of a koala in a safety vest holding a stop sign, next to a cartoon car, with text about volunteering for the car rider line.

First Weeks Car-Rider Support

Please sign up to support our car-rider line for the first few weeks until our safety patrol is up and running!

https://first-week-car-rider-line-volunteers26.cheddarup.com

Event announcement for Terrell Elementary PTA meeting at Candella Playground on August 11th.

First Day - Breakfast & Playtime with PTA

Meet us at the Candela playground from 8:15-9:00 after the first day of school drop-off to cheers to the new school year!

Back to School Events including block party August 1, Meet the Teacher Aug. 5, First Day of School Aug. 11, Curriculum Night Aug. 27

Resources and Campus Updates

Library News

Pixel art illustration promoting 'Back to School: Level Up at the Library' with a koala character holding a book.

🎮📚 Level Up through Innovative Day! 📚🎮

This year, students will visit the library during their Innovative Day rotations. In addition to the library, each Koala will have the opportunity to participate in learning experiences in our STEM Lab, Science Lab, Life Lab, and Computer Lab.

During each rotation, students will engage in hands-on lessons, collaborative activities, and exciting learning opportunities designed to spark curiosity, build critical thinking skills, and support academic growth. These enriching experiences help our Koalas develop new skills, explore their interests, and continue Leveling Up Learning throughout the school year.

We look forward to an amazing year of discovery, creativity, and innovation! 🐨📚💡🚀

Parents, please make sure to opt in to all library resources when completing your Back-to-School forms in Skyward. This is especially important for student access to Lightbox eBooks through ClassLink.

Lightbox is an interactive digital library that provides students with engaging nonfiction eBooks enriched with videos, audio, maps, and other multimedia features. It is a valuable learning tool that supports classroom instruction and gives students easy access to reliable information in a fun and interactive format.

Students use Lightbox in their classrooms, the computer lab, and the library. By opting in, you ensure that your child can take full advantage of this resource both at school and at home. You can go back and opt in for library resources. Thank you for helping us provide your child with access to these exciting learning opportunities! 📖✨

Our Innovative Team is excited to support your child's learning journey this year! The team includes Ms. Castillo (STEM Lab), Ms. Mya (Science Lab), Ms. Q (Life Lab), and Ms. G (Computer Lab).

We can't wait to welcome all of our Koalas and begin an exciting year of innovation, exploration, and learning this school year!

The Innovative Team 🐨💡🚀📚💻🔬

A "Back to School" graphic features a cute koala character above "Terrell Elementary PTA Spirit Store" text.

New After School Provider for 2026

We are excited to bring you a new after school provider beginning in August, 2026. Alphabest Education is a fun, engaging, and highly-trained provider who will begin servicing Terrell Elementary. Please consider coming to their engagement event on Tuesday June 16th from 4:30-6:30 to learn more. You may now enroll for Fall as well using the qr code on the attached flier or by visiting https://www.alphabest.org/lamartx/.

Dress Code

For more guidance about student dress code expectations see the LCISD student handbook (Beginning on page 41). Please remember, sneakers with laces must be worn for PE. See your specials rotations from teacher newsletters to plan appropriate footwear.

STAAR scores and Data

Families will soon be able to access their child’s STAAR® results online through our district’s Skyward parent portal. Beginning June 16 for grades 3–8, parents and guardians are invited to log in and learn more about their child’s performance.

To view your students' scores, follow these directions

Counseling Corner

It's almost time to welcome you back, Koalas! Parents please make sure you are "opting in" for all of our student services on your back to school forms through Skyward. Lunch bunch, individual meets with me, and group mediations are all included under these options. Your participation allows me to continue providing services and supports that help meet the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of your children. Thank you for partnering with our school counseling program! If you have any questions regarding these Skyward Student Service Forms, feel free to email me: jennifer.russell@lcisd.org.

Community Events

New Tool- Let's Connect

Have a question, concern, suggestion, or compliment? Connect with Lamar CISD through Let’s Connect, our customer service and community engagement platform. Let’s Connect makes it easy to share feedback, ask questions, and get connected with the right department or campus for support.

image with dancers and the link to register

Tomas Emeralds Dance Clinic

The Emeralds Dance Team is excited to host the Emeralds Experience Fall Dance Clinic for students in grades Kindergarten - 8th on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Gene Tomas High School Gym. This fun and engaging clinic will give participants the opportunity to learn dance routines, build confidence, and experience what it's like to be an Emerald!

The cost is $75, which includes the clinic, a snack, a t-shirt, a bow, and pom-poms. Families are invited to attend a parent performance, with doors opening at 11:45 am and the performance beginning at 12:00 pm. An optional performance opportunity will be available at the GTHS vs Terry HS Football game on Thursday, September 24th at Traylor Stadium.

Registration is available by scanning the QR code on the flyer or by using this link: Emeralds Dance Clinic Registration link. For questions, please ask Coach Ambria Johnson at ambria.johnson@lcisd.org

District News

Reminders

Student Dismissal Tags

Student Dismissal tags have been generously provided once again, courtesy of Gavri Orthodontics! They will be available for pick up in your student's classroom at Meet the Teacher on Aug. 5th.

Rainy Day Dismissal

For parents of bike riders or walkers, please remember that rainy day dismissals can be announced if inclement weather is observed from 2:45- 3:00 PM. To keep our students and staff safe, we will notify you via parent square when this occurs. Parents should then come through the car-rider pick up line using their green dismissal tag to pick up your students. If you cannot drive to pick up your student, you may walk, but you must provide identification such as a state-issued ID or your green dismissal tag.

Terrell Facebook Page

Terrell School Website

Parent Input Form

School Meals

School Meals at Terrell will be free of charge for the 2026-27 school year.
Beginning August 24th parents may attend lunch with their students. Please bring your ID and check in with the office prior to lunch start time.
To preview school menus, please visit the child nutrition website.
If you are delivering lunch for your student, please plan to bring it at least 15 minutes before their lunchtime. We will not accept food delivery services for students.
If sending a lunch for your child, remember we are a nut-free school. Students who bring items with nuts will be seated at a separate table during lunch; we recommend avoiding this as much as possible.
For snacks, please only send one snack, as this is a working snack time within the classroom. Ensure you send a snack that is not messy and does not need utensils. (Such as- Goldfish, pretzels, or animal crackers!😊) Nut products are not permitted during snack.
Breakfast doors close at 7:43 AM. Please arrive no later than 7:40 AM if your child needs to eat breakfast. Instruction begins in classes at 7:45 AM.

Transportation Changes

Transportation changes will not be accepted after 2:10 pm or 10:45 on early release dates. To submit a transportation change, please call the office at (832) 223-6500 or write a note for your child to bring with them, reflecting the transportation changes. Neither email nor voicemail is an approved method of communication for transportation changes.

You may check out your child early if needed for doctor's appointments or other necessary reasons until 2:30 PM on full days or 10:05 on early release dates. Please limit this as much as possible, as we are actively instructing and learning until 3:05 PM each day. If your student repeatedly leaves early, they are potentially missing key information.