Opal Parent Newsletter ~ Week of 9/15-19

Posted Date: 9/13/25 (4:05 PM)

View Original Post

Parent Newsletter

Student Hours

7:30 AM Doors Open

no adults will be allowed in the building

7:30-7:50 AM Breakfast

7:50 AM Doors Close (Tardy Bell)

Parents will be required to walk students into the front office and sign students in.

3:35 PM Dismissal

All students must be picked up by 3:55

Parents will be required come into the office and sign students out if parents arrive after 3:55.

Check out Alphabest flyer below if you need your child enrolled for extended day.

Alphabest Hours 3:35-6:30PM

Week of September 15-19

Dear Pirate Families,

Thank you to all the grandparents who joined us! Lunch and Laughs with Grands was a huge success, with over 400 grandparents visiting our campus. 🥰

💰 Fundraiser Update: Our Big Kahuna sales are off to a great start! Total sales to date: $6,351.79. Congratulations to our top-selling classes:

🏆 2nd Grade – Ms. Petroff
🏆 3rd Grade – Ms. Janicek
🏆 1st Grade – Ms. White

📅 Important Dates:

Sales Close: Wednesday, September 24
Last Day for Late Orders & Online Sales: Thursday, October 2
Delivery Date: Tuesday, October 21 🚚

⏰ Student Punctuality: The tardy bell rings at 7:50 AM. Arriving late to school impacts your child’s academic success by causing them to miss important instructional minutes. Please ensure students arrive on time each day to maximize learning opportunities. 🏫📖

🍽️ Parent Lunches: Parents are invited to join your student for lunch starting September 16. See flyer for designated days and times.

📌 Reminder: Don’t forget to submit your reduced and free lunch meal applications if you haven’t already. Completing these ensures your child receives the support they need and helps provide funding for our campus.

Together, we are One Crandall, One Family, One Purpose! 🏴‍☠️💪

With Pirate Pride,

Jennifer Scott

Principal

Opal Smith Elementary lunch schedule with times for each grade level.

A collage of photos celebrating Grandparents Day, featuring families and children.

Our little pirates salute the heroes of 9/11 💙🧡 Remembering and reflecting on Patriot Day.

CISD 25-26 District Calendar

Upcoming Events

SEP 2-18: Homecoming Candy Drive

SEP 17: CISD Parent Engagement Skyward Info Night 6-7 PM

SEP 24: HOCO Parade 5:30 PM

SEP 25: Student Holiday/ Staff Learning Day NO SCHOOL

SEP 26: Student Holiday/ Staff Work Day - NO SCHOOL

OCT 2: Pirate Fest 6-8 PM @ HMS

OCT 13-15: Student Holiday/Staff Exchange Day - NO SCHOOL

OCT 16-17: Student Holiday/Staff Exchange Day - NO SCHOOL

NOV 7: Student Holiday/ Staff Learning Day NO SCHOOL

NOV 21: Turkey Trot (info coming soon)

NOV 24-28: Student Holiday/ Staff Holiday - NO SCHOOL

DEC 1-5: Winter Shop (info coming soon)

DEC 18: Jingle Bell Run (info coming soon) & Early Release @ 12 PM

DEC 19: Student Holiday/ Staff Work Day - NO SCHOOL

Promotional graphic for a school fundraiser featuring online sales and a collectible lanyard.

Promotional image for a school fundraiser, featuring gift items and online shopping.

Flyer for Opal Smith Elementary's Parent Engagement Nights, themed 'Pirate Night', with Skyward information.

A flyer announces a Crandall High School Homecoming Parade and Candy Drive.

Opal Smith Elementary School Homecoming Spirit Week schedule with daily themes.

A promotional graphic for Crandall ISD's Little Pirate Nation, featuring a football schedule and pirate imagery.

A colorful flyer announces 'Rock Your School Sports Week' with daily dress-up themes.

A child with face paint is featured in a flyer for the Annual CISD Pirate Fest.

A side-by-side calendar displays school holidays for Fall 2025, in both English and Spanish.

Teaching & Learning at Opal Smith

Image promoting Opal Smith Elementary's instructional focus, with text and a graphic.

Campus Expectations

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

ARRIVAL

7:30 AM Doors Open

7:30-7:50 AM Breakfast

7:50 AM Doors Close (Tardy Bell)

All students will enter the building using the front entrance on their own. Staff will greet and provided assistance when needed.
Parents: Please pull forward to drop of student using on lane for safety reason. No parking in the car line. If you need to enter the office, please park in the parking lot.
Any student that arrives after 7:50am, parents will be required to walk students into the front office and sign students in.

DISMISSAL

3:35 PM Dismissal

Car Riders: All car riders will be dismissed from indoors. Please utilize both lanes, pull forward to the cones, and ensure your car rider sign is visible when you arrive. Life Skills car riders: Please refer to the above map for designated dismissal location.
Walkers, Bike/Scooter Riders: Students in this group will continue to exit the building under staff supervision, these students will exit out of the cafeteria.
Bus Riders: All bus riders are escorted to the gym to load the buses.

Crosswalk Reminder

All individuals (parents and students) must only cross the street at a designated crosswalk location, this is for both LEGAL and SAFETY purposes.

Ride Changes Procedure

Email: OSRideChange@crandall-isd.net BEFORE 2:00 PM to request a ride change.

Attendance Matters

An infographic displays daily attendance percentages for Opal Smith Elementary.

MISS A DAY, MISS A LOT!

Your child's academic growth is dependent on attendance everyday. When students arrive late and leave early, they are missing out on learning opportunities.

DOCTOR'S NOTES

All doctor's notes must have a date and the date(s) of the absence.

Bring your scholar back to school after a doctor's. appointment and receive credit for a full day attendance.

90 % ATTENDANCE IS A STATE REQUIREMENT - Compulsory Attendance Laws

If your scholar needs to be absent:

1. Send a written note justifying you scholar's reason for absence within 3 school days (only 3 per semester)

2. Send a doctor's note to verify the scholars absence

Submit Absent Notes

Lunch Schedule

Free & Reduced Meals

Children need healthy meals to learn. Crandall ISD offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs $2.25; lunch costs PreK-5th grade is $3.50, and 6-12th grade is $3.75. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced-meal prices. Reduced-price is free for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch. Contact amitchell@crandall-isd.net for questions.

Remember to (re)apply for free or reduced school meals for the

2025-2026 school year online.

APPLICATION FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR IS NOW OPEN