AUGUST 11, 2026 | ISSUE 1 | PTO | CONTACT

• A message from Principal Zatzkin
• A note from PTO President
• Important campus reminders
• Class coffee socials August 22
• Volunteer and get involved with the PTO
• Beginning of the Year NWEA testing
• Piano program registration open
• Join the RE Auction Soirée committee
• Inaugural Roberts Cheer team
• Neartown Little League registration

Dear Roberts Families,

Welcome back! I hope your summer was filled with opportunities to relax, recharge, and enjoy special moments with family and friends. As we prepare to begin a new school year, I am filled with excitement and gratitude as we welcome our students, families, and staff back to Roberts.

There is something truly special about the start of a new school year. Our hallways come alive again with laughter, curiosity, friendships, and the excitement of new possibilities. Whether your family is returning to our school or joining us for the first time, please know that you are an important part of our school community, and we are so glad you are here.

At Roberts, our commitment is to create a safe, welcoming, and joyful learning environment where every child feels known, valued, supported, and challenged to grow as an IB learner. Our dedicated teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare engaging learning experiences and classrooms where students can build confidence, discover their strengths, and develop a lifelong love of learning.

We also know that our students are most successful when schools and families work together. Your partnership, encouragement, and involvement make a tremendous difference! Thank you for trusting us with the privilege of educating and caring for your children. I am honored to serve as your principal and look forward to an outstanding year of learning, laughter, growth, and memorable moments together.

Let’s make this a wonderful school year!

Sincerely,

On behalf of the Roberts Elementary PTO, it is my pleasure to welcome you to an exciting new school year! Whether you are joining our school community for the first time or returning for another incredible year, we are so glad you're here.

This year we will continue to highlight 90 years of Roberts Elementary Excellence! Our school thrives because of the hard work, dedication, and passion of our students, families, educators, and staff. Together, we are building a place where every child is encouraged to learn, grow, and reach their full potential.

A big thank you to the wonderful volunteers who spent their summer helping to brighten our school. A special thank you to Natasha Bowdoin, Savannah Bourgeois, Ryan Hammer, Lisa Mun, Jennifer Patrick, Charlotte Ross, and Michelle Wan. The mural, entryway, and workroom look amazing, be sure to check them out next time you are on campus (and check out a sneak peak below).

Here's to a fantastic school year filled with new opportunities, meaningful connections, and plenty of reasons to celebrate. I cannot wait to see all we will accomplish- together!

Emily Forswall, Roberts PTO President

Your PTO dollars at work! Thank you to all of our generous donors and volunteers that made these updates possible!

Please take a moment to review our Family Handbook to make sure you are familiar with our campus routines, expectations, and procedures. Being familiar with these guidelines will help us all have a safe and smooth start to the school year.

New to Roberts? If you are a new Roberts family and were unable to attend our New Parent Orientation, please take a few minutes to view the digital presentation. Even if you are a returning family, it is a great refresher on our campus and procedures!

Save this email address to your contacts so it's readily available when you need to contact the school:RES@houstonisd.onmicrosoft.com

Arrival & Dismissal Reminders

Because Roberts is a landlocked campus with limited space, it is especially important that all families follow our arrival and dismissal procedures. Following these procedures helps us keep traffic moving and ensures a safe and efficient process for everyone.

Campus doors open at 7:15 am. Please do not drop off students BEFORE 7:15 am - there is no staff on duty for supervision.

Three entry points in the morning:
1. Red doors at the Circle Drive - main entrance (moving car line, no parking in the Circle Drive or anywhere on Swift Street in front of the school)
2. Greenbriar Gate on Greenbriar Drive (gate closes at 7:25 am; NO car drop off at Greenbriar, this is a walk-up gate only)
3. Small gate on School Street (gate closes at 7:30 am; moving car line; no parking)
Please note: the Circle Drive is closed during the following times: 7:00AM - 7:45AM and 2:30PM - 3:30PM. There is NO parking in the Circle Drive during these times.

Please note: The gated parking lot is for STAFF ONLY. Staff parking spaces are assigned to individual employees. Parents and visitors should not park in the staff parking lot or in assigned staff spaces. Parking in these spaces can prevent our teachers and staff from getting to their classrooms on time and can delay the start of the school day.

We appreciate your cooperation and partnership in following these procedures. When everyone does their part, arrival and dismissal run much more smoothly for our students, families, and staff! Please review the complete arrival and dismissal procedures here.

Join us on the Roberts playground for the annual Class Coffee Socials on Saturday, August 22nd! Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck will be brewing your favorite pick-me-ups, while the kids can enjoy juice, water, and treats.

It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and kick off the new school year together! Join during your grade level time:

• Kindergarten and 1st (9am-10am)
• 2nd and 3rd (10am-11am)
• 4th and 5th (11am-12pm)

Good coffee. Great community! Sponsored by the PTO.

Our beginning-of-the-year NWEA MAP and DIBELS assessments are coming soon. Please help your child be successful by ensuring they are at school on time, well-rested, and ready to test each day. Testing begins promptly at 8:00 a.m.

What are these assessments?

• NWEA MAP: Measures your child's academic achievement and growth in math (grades K through1), reading (grades 2 through 5), and science (grades 2 through 5).
• DIBELS: Measures your child's reading skills and progress toward grade-level reading goals in K through 2nd grade.
  
  

Testing Schedule

• Week of August 17th: DIBELS Reading – Kindergarten and 1st Grade
• August 18th: NWEA MAP Math – Kindergarten through 5th Grade
• August 19th: NWEA MAP Reading – 2nd through 5th Grade
• August 20th: NWEA MAP Science – 2nd through 5th Grade
• Week of August 24: DIBELS Reading – 2nd Grade
  
  

If you have any questions about NWEA MAP or DIBELS testing, please contact Mrs. Kimberly Flores at Kimberly.Flores@houstonisd.org.

The Roberts Piano Program is beginning to accept KG-5th grade students. Any students interested in this program must commit to a full year of lessons and practice. They also need to maintain sound conduct and a good academic standard. Otherwise, they will not be allowed to continue in the program.

All lessons are scheduled during the school day, during one of their grade-level recess time. Kindergarten through 4th grade lessons are 20 minutes and 5th grade lessons are 30 minutes, once a week. This piano program has limited space and requires a commitment from home. We do not want spots taken up by students who are only attending the lessons and not practicing daily.

• There will be a $400 fee per year per students ($200 per semester). Payment for the semester or the entire school year is due at the time of enrollment via SchoolPay.
• We are requesting that any student who signs up for this program has a piano or keyboard at home for use.
• Continuing 1st through 5th piano students will have registration priority.

Please direct any questions to Ms. Tran at kristina.tran@houstonisd.org. The deadline to submit this registration form is end of day Friday, August 28th.

Do you like to make copies? Build furniture? Own a business? Know how to make a spreadsheet? THERE IS A PLACE FOR YOU as a Roberts Volunteer with the PTO!

Email us at volunteer@robertspto.org to be a valued part of the Community.

As we prepare for a successful school year, we encourage families who plan to volunteer on campus to register or renew their registration with HISD Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS). Please note that background checks can take several weeks to process, so we encourage you to complete the application as soon as possible.

The first day to register or renew for the 2026–27 school year is August 10, 2026. VIPS approval does not roll over from one school year to the next, so all volunteers must complete a new application each school year. The HISD volunteer handbook can be found here.

We are so excited about this year's Roberts Elementary PTO Auction Soirée, RE-Enchanted Garden, on February 27, 2027 at Rice's Cohen House! Want to be involved?

Join our committee!! We may be (unofficially) the best party... we mean committee... and you know you want to join us! Our first meeting is Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 6pm. RSVP to auction@robertspto.org for the address and details.

We're organized, but more importantly, we have fun! Join us to make this year's auction soirée an event to remember, and make wonderful friends along the way! Sign up here - we cannot WAIT to work with you!

The Roberts PTO Auction Soirée is a fabulous adults-only evening celebrating our incredible community at Roberts that includes fancy outfits, delicious food, a bar for those who partake, dancing, casino games, and an enchanted auction with amazing prizes & events! Proceeds raised make up ⅓ of the PTO budget, so you make a direct difference while enjoying an enchanted evening!

Applications are open for the inaugural Roberts Elementary Cheer Team!
The Cheer Team is designed to build school spirit and pride, teamwork, confidence, and encourage positive sportsmanship in a fun, inclusive, and non-competitive environment. The team is open to current 3rd and 4th graders. Up to 20 students will be selected. Practices begin Tuesday September 1st.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE AUGUST 20th! Families will be notified of selection decisions by Wednesday, August 26th. Learn more and apply here!

Batter up! Several Roberts families participate in Neartown Little League, and you can be one of them! Fall Ball is open to kids living within Neartown or outside of Neartown.

Neartown Little League exists to give every kid and every family in our community a place to fall in love with baseball, not just the game itself, but everything that comes with it: confidence, teamwork, accountability, and sportsmanship. We're a 100% volunteer-run league, which means we rely on each other to keep it running, with every coach, family, and player part of the NLL community. Click here for more information and registration.