Mark Your Calendars:

• Go Texan Day Friday, February 26

• Kindergarten Registration For 2016-2017 begins Monday, February 29

• All Grade Level Registration For 2016-2017 begins Thursday, March 3 Registration continues each day, Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-noon through Thursday, May12

• Early Dismissal Day Friday, March 11

• Spring Break Monday-Friday March 14-18

Spring Edition, 2015-2016 Volume 8, February 22, 2016

Principal’s Place Upcoming Events Last week’s whole-school photograph was a great success! Kudos to Assistant Principal Amber Pinch back and the Presidents’ Day committee for organizing this great event: Elena Adkison, Alisca Bailey, Irene Duvo, Carlisle Fisher, Layne Guthrie, Abbey Jackson, Jennifer Levy, Alyce McLamb, Melissa O’Dell, Andrea Saleem, Jenny Wood, and Shelby Wood. Great job! Big thanks to West U dad Marshall Law of Photo Texas Photography who arranged for the drone camera operators to be here to take the photos. If you missed the news report on Fox 26, click on this link to see it: http://www.fox26houston.com/news/92846623-video There is a big error in the 2015-2016 School Calendar we sent home in the first day packet. The last day of school for the 2015-2016 school year is Wednesday, May 25. That day is also an Early Dismissal Day.

For as long as any of us can remember, the last day of school has always been on a Thursday. I guess that is why the SDMC and I missed the mistake. My apologies for this oversight though I would guess that all of the children will be thrilled to know the school year ends a day sooner than they originally thought. There is a corrected calendar on our website if you wish to download a copy: http://www.houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001591/Centricity/domain/12650/2015-16/WUES%20Academic%20Calendar%202015-2016%20CORRECTED.pdf Go Texan Day is this Friday, February 26. I look forward to seeing all of our cowgirls and cowboys in the western best! Have a fabulous week! John T. Threet, Principal

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Library Book Nook 2

Birthday Book Club 2

Art Night Volunteers 3

STAAR Schedule 3

Go Texan Day 3

West University Elementary School

The West U Pony Express

Congratulations to the Name that Book, West University Elementary K-2 team! The children worked hard to memorize phrases, quotes and pictures from 29 books and did a fantastic job. Team members for 2016 are:

Accacia Yoon (Ms Marshall)- 2nd grade Ashvik Pious (Ms Finnigan)- 2nd grade Devika Kurup (Ms Marshall) - 2nd grade Mira Pemmanda ( Ms Breen)- 1st grade Neha Ravi (Ms Holland) ¬ 1st grade Ralph Satija (Ms McKenzie )- 1st grade Vedika Tandon (Ms Breen)-1st grade Yutia Li (Ms Breen) ¬ 1st grade

Congratulations to the Name that Book 3rd-5th grade team. These students will be going to competition in a week and a half. Wish them luck when you see them in the hallway! Our team members are:

Paul Yoon (Durham) – 5th grade Ava Yu (Higgs) – 5th grade Nora Mayral Boyle (Durham) -5th grade Kate Jeong (Wood) – 4th grade Will Silva (Inman) – 4th grade Varun Manickam (Jackson) – 4th grade Matthew Jeong (Watts) – 3rd grade Gaia Giuliani (McLamb)- 3rd grade

ATTENTION! The Texas Bluebonnet Award winner has been announced. The 2015-2016 winner for our school this year

was Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick, but the 2015-2016 Bluebonnet winner for the state of Texas is When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill. Thanks again to all

our parent volunteers who made our wonderful Bluebonnet Breakfast possible this year and a huge thank you and congratulations to the students who read enough to participate and be recognized in the celebration. Reading matters! Kelly Russell, Librarian

Happy Birthday, 生日快乐, Feliz

Cumpleaños, С Днем Рождения! The following students are celebrating their birthdays this week by donating a book to our school library:

Ayan Basha February 22nd Henry Brenckmann February 23rd Sterling Frank February 24th Adriana Secaira February 24th Margaret He February 25th Palmer Popov February 25th Anand Mehta February 26th Lindsey Levan February 27th John Sharp February 27th Caroline Buckner February 28th Taylor Hord February 28th Simran Shroff February 28th

If you signed up your child for the

Birthday Book Club and their birthday already passed, but they have not chosen their book yet, please be sure

to let them know to stop by the library as soon as possible! Also, remember……..

- If you would like to order a Birthday Book Club membership for your child, all orders are due NO LATER THAN Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. to be included in the following week’s Pony Express.

- Submit your Birthday Book Club forms as soon as

possible, to make sure we include your child in the Pony Express during their birthday month.

- Order forms can be found online

www.westupto.org, or in the blue PTO box at the front office.

Happy Birthday and thank you for supporting the West U Elementary library! Any questions? Please contact Tracy Benner (tracymbenner@yahoo.com) or Guadalupe Harper (guadacarlesso@hotmail.com).

The West U Pony Express February 22, 2016

Art Night is shaping up to be a fun, entertaining and educational event for all this year. The Houston Grand Opera has agreed to perform at Art Night, and will have an interactive booth as well. We are still looking for Art Night Volunteers to help make this another great event for our kids and the community! Please commit to helping us by giving us two hours of your time, and sign up at: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0f4aacab28a5fb6-artnight We look forward to seeing you there! Greta Pliskin and Janet Feng, Art Night Co-Chairs

Testing season begins in a little more than a month and we want you to be informed of the days when you child will test.

• Tuesday, March 29 Writing, 4th Grade Mathematics, 5th Grade

• Wednesday, March 30 Reading, 5th Grade

• Monday, May 9 Mathematics, 3rd & 4th Grades

• Tuesday, May 10 Reading, 3rd & 4th Grades

• Wednesday, May 11 Science, 5th Grade

It is important for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to be in attendance on the scheduled testing days. Please adjust your calendar accordingly.

Every year in Houston we remember and salute our cowboy past with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The HLSR parade officially kicks off the event in downtown Houston on Saturday, February 27. The Friday before the Parade is known as "Go Texan Day," where the entire population of Houston is decked out in Western attire, such as jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats. We at West U Elementary do our part and encourage all students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration to dust off their hats and boots and Go Texan on Friday, February 26 as we show our Texas pride (no toy guns, please). Go Texan!

It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, marital status, religion, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression, or any other basis prohibited by law in its educational or employment programs and activities.

West Univers i ty Elementary Schoo l 3756 University Blvd., Houston, TX 77005

Phone: 713-295-5215 Fax: 713-667-8514

We’re on the Web!

visit us on the web at: www.westues.org

John T. Threet, Princ ipal Tracey L. Wyatt, Instructional Coordinator

Amber Pinchback, Assistant Principal Daphne Rawlinson, Teacher Specialist

Texas Education Agency Exemplary School

Texas Education Agency Met Standard with Academic Distinction in All Areas

Children At Risk, Ranked #2 Among All Texas Public Elementary Schools

TBEC Honor Roll School NCEA Higher Performing School

No Place For Hate School

The West U Pony Express February 22, 2016