Opal Parent Newsletter ~ Week of 11/3-7

Posted Date: 11/01/25 (6:08 PM)

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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 Nov 3-7

Dear Pirate Families,

As the cool fall weather blows in 🍂, please help us ensure your student follows the school dress code. While students will have several opportunities to dress up for spirit weeks and special events, the daily dress code remains in effect.

🚫 Dress Code Reminders:

No hoodies (hooded outerwear, hooded sweatshirts, and shirts with hoods may not be worn inside CISD buildings or on CISD buses)
No blankets
No slides
Allowed: Denim blue or black jeans/bottoms with no holes, rips, tears, or frays — permitted Monday through Friday

For full details, please review the Crandall ISD Dress Code

⏰ Tardy Reminder:

The tardy bell rings at 7:50 AM. Every minute matters—thank you for ensuring your child arrives on time each day! Families arriving after 7:50 AM must sign students in at the front office.

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

Warm regards,

With Pirate Pride,

Jennifer Scott

Principal

Silhouette of children holding a flag, with text 'Rising in Strength' and 'Rooted in Growth'.

A collage of images from a Fall Festival, featuring costumes, games, and smiling faces.

CISD 25-26 District Calendar

Upcoming Events

NOV 4: Big Kahuna Limo Ride

NOV 5: Perot Museum 5th Field Trip

NOV 6: 1st grade Math DCP & PTO Western Dance 3rd-5th grades only

NOV 7: Student Holiday/ Staff Learning Day NO SCHOOL

NOV 11: 3rd-5th grade STAAR RLA Interim - NO VISITORS

NOV 13: 3rd-5th grade STAAR MATH Interim - NO VISITORS

NOV 20: Fall into Reading - Literacy Night 5-7 PM

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

DEC 22- JAN 6: Student Holiday - NO SCHOOL

JAN 7: Students return to school

A Wild West Roundup poster with cowboy imagery and event details.

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

Announcement: No school Friday, November 7th, Staff Learning Day.

A school announcement reminds students of upcoming STAAR testing dates.

Poster for Opal Smith Elementary's Literacy Night, featuring fall colors and a book.

A calendar for November 2025, highlighting Gratitude Week with themed days.

A bulletin board displays an Opal Smith PTO calendar with upcoming events.

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

Teaching & Learning at Opal Smith

An informational graphic from Opal Smith Elementary, highlighting instructional focus.

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

Opal Smith Elementary school attendance data displayed on a blue and yellow background.

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