Panther Families Weekly Tidbits

Buddy's Countdown to Christmas

We love to have fun at Pike, and this year we have enlisted our friend Buddy the Elf to help us get into the holiday spirit. Please see the attached calendar if your student wants to participate in some of the fun theme days we will have.

Buddy's Countdown to Christmas

Reminder: Reindeer Romp packet pick-up taking place next week

Individuals who have registered for Northwest ISD’s annual Reindeer Romp will soon be able to pick up their race packets. On Wednesday, December 10, the district athletic office at 1937 Texan Drive in Justin will host packet pick-ups from 5 to 8 p.m. The following day, December 11, Haslet Elementary School will host packet pick-ups from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 1188 Wisdom Way Drive in Haslet. Packets can also be picked up the day of the event at Alliance Airport.

The Reindeer Romp begins with the 1-mile run at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, December 13, followed 30 minutes later by the 5K race. Both races take place at Alliance Airport. Register now and select our school to help our P.E. program! Information and registration is available at www.nisdreindeerromp.com.

Follow athletic, fine arts events on district website

Not sure when Northwest ISD middle and high schools will play an athletic event or hold a fine arts performance? Visit each department’s website to see a comprehensive list of athletic and fine arts events across the district!

The athletic department’s RankOne page has separate hubs for each secondary school, where users can filter through team levels and view calendars. The fine arts department’s webpage features a link to a Google Calendar with a list of performances for the current school year.

Remember gun safety this holiday season

The storage of guns is vital to safety, especially during the holiday season. Texas law now requires schools to distribute information about gun safety, as firearms are the leading cause of suicide in Texas. Restricting access to guns is critical in reducing acts of violence, whether as self-harm or towards others. Acts of mass violence and interpersonal violence often end in suicide. For information about safe gun storage, view this website.

Too many ParentSquare notifications? Change your preferences!

Do you feel like you’re getting too many texts or emails from ParentSquare? Just want notifications in the ParentSquare app? Change your communications preference to meet how you want to receive messages!

Families in Northwest ISD have full control of how they receive ParentSquare messages. To change your settings, sign in on the ParentSquare website and hover over your profile’s name in the top right corner to select “My Account.” From there, click “Notification Settings” on the left sidebar and turn on or off any message format (email, text and app) and whether you receive notifications instantly or each evening (in the “digest” option).

A quick reminder that doors open at 8:25AM. There’s no staff supervision before then, and we’re seeing more students being dropped off early—sometimes more than an hour before doors open. Please help us keep everyone safe by dropping off at or after 8:25AM.

All student drop-off and pick-up must happen in the back of the school. The only exceptions are students arriving early for athletics or tutoring. We’ve seen too many cars stopping in the front lately, which creates unsafe conditions while buses are unloading. At 8:50AM when school starts, you may drop your student at the front, as the back doors will be closed and locked.

Mornings in the back run smoothly, but afternoons have become extremely hectic and congested. Please wait until you reach the pick-up zone under the awning before your student gets in the car, and avoid parking in or driving through the staff parking lot. This has our students crossing through traffic which puts them at risk for being hit, which I unfortunately have seen almost happen too many times.

While we may be close to the Texas Motor Speedway, our campus is a school zone—and safe and respectful driving is needed. Please drive slowly, follow the traffic flow, and avoid U-turns or cutting through lanes. We’ve had several close calls that could easily have been accidents.

Let’s all set the right example for our students by showing patience and following the Panther Way every day.

To help keep traffic moving safely and smoothly, please follow these reminders:

• Pull All the Way Forward: When entering the pick-up/drop-off zone, continue to the front of the line before stopping. Stopping early—even if you see your student—causes unnecessary back-ups.
• Student Pick-Up: Students will walk to meet you once you have entered the designated zone.
• Stay in the Zone: Use only the official pick-up/drop-off area. This allows us to stagger traffic and helps limit the blockages we’ve been experiencing.
• No U-Turns: Please do not make U-turns in the drive lanes. This creates a serious risk of accidents.
• Drive with Patience: Rushing or cutting into lanes can lead to near-misses and unsafe conditions.
• One-Way Traffic: Each direction is one lane. Avoid creating a second exit lane by picking up students from the back of the line or attempting to leave early.

Report an Absence:

• https://pike.nisdtx.org/our-school/attendance-office

HAC:

• Home Access Center serves as the online gradebook for families to access their students' grades. If families are not aware of their login information, they should contact the front office of their child's school.
• https://hac.nisdtx.org/HomeAccess/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2fHomeAccess

Canvas Parent Observer Access:

• https://canvasresources.nisdtx.org/monitor/parent-observer-access