JANUARY 13, 2026 | ISSUE 20 | PTO | CONTACT

Save the date! Celebrate the Year of the Horse with the Roberts community at our annual Lunar New Year Festival on Friday February 20th.

• Reminder, NO SCHOOL on MLK Jr Day, Monday January 19th
• Spring Garden Clean Up Social and garden liaisons needed
• Family fun Fridays at the playground have returned
• Roberts Track Team tryouts Jan. 26
• They're back! PADRES Campout shirts flash sale
• Yearbook cover submissions
• Middle of year NWEA testing this week
• Raising Cane's spirit night this Thursday Jan. 15
• Get your wristband for PJ Day this Friday Jan. 16
• Tours for prospective RE families
• Global Glam Auction Soirée limited tickets available
• HISD School Choice tours and information
• Support Roberts by shopping at Kroger

The garden committee is hosting the annual Spring Garden Cleanup on Sunday February 1st and would love to see you there! We'll be prepping the vegetable beds for Kinder, 1st, and 2nd grade students who will begin planting in February. Coffee, water, and donuts will be served. Please RSVP here if you are able to make it. :)

Bring your gardening gear: gloves, pruning clippers, etc. We will have extras if you don’t have any. Please note that the building will be closed for the weekend so there will be no bathroom access. Water bottles are a good idea!

For families with Kinder and 2nd graders: the Garden is still seeking parent liaisons for each for the following classes to help your kids plant and harvest this spring!

Kinder:

• Ms. Punch, Ms. Cowan: 1 volunteer needed

• Ms. Jenkins: 2 volunteers needed

2nd Grade

• Ms. Lynch, Ms. Villasenor: 1 volunteer needed

• Ms. McHugh: 2 volunteers needed

No green thumb or prior experience needed! All supplies provided. Thank you to everyone that has already volunteered! Please contact internationalgarden@robertspto.org with any questions.

Every Friday, the playground is open following dismissal! Join other Roberts families to hang out and get to know one another.

Please note:

• Parents must pick up their student(s) and take them to playground area.
• There is no access to the main building for restrooms or water.
• If you bring snacks, please make sure you take all trash with you or place in the trash cans.
• Do not park on School St. until the carpool line clears around 3:30PM.

Join the Roberts Track Team! Complete the application by Friday January 23rd to tryout (4th and 5th grade girls and boys are eligible). Practices will be on Mondays from 3-4PM. Use the QR code on flier below to apply!

Due to popular demand, an additional order will be placed for the 2025 Campout Shirts! The cost for each shirt is $15. Please email campout@robertspto.org by Sunday January 25th with your desired sizes and quantities (sizes range from Youth XS-XL to Adult S-XL). Delivery of shirts is expected mid-February and payment will be collected at that time.

Calling all 5th grade artists and graphic designers! The 2025-2026 yearbook cover needs you! Submissions are due Thursday March 5th. Ms. Punch (room 122) will be available after school this Thursday January 15th for any questions and more information.

We will begin our campus NWEA testing starting Tuesday January 13th, please see the schedule below. Make sure that your student is present and ready to test each day. We will begin testing promptly at 8:00 am. These tests will measure growth from the beginning of the year in each subject area (reading, math, and science). Kindergarten and 1st grade students only take the math portion.

• January 13th – Math NWEA Middle of year testing for grades 2nd through 5th; Kindergarten and 1st grade will test the week of January 13th - January 16th.
• January 14th – Reading NWEA Middle of year testing for grades 2nd through 5th.
• January 15th – Science NWEA Middle of year testing for grades 2nd through 5th.
  
  

A reminder that there are NO LUNCH VISITORS during testing days on January 13th, 14th, and 15th. Please email Ms. Tran at Kristina.tran@houstonisd.orgif you have any questions about NWEA testing.

Chicken chicken chicken, what combo you pickin? Skip cooking dinner and join us at Raising Cane's on Thursday January 15th from 4:30-8:30PM. You don't have to cook and a portion of sales goes back to Roberts, it's win win! (Please note it is the 1902 Westheimer Rd location as last week's Front Page contained a misprint!)

How about a raffle to accompany your chicken? Mention the fundraiser at the register inside or while ordering in drive thru, and write your name and phone number on the receipt. Raising Cane's will randomly pick a receipt and call the winning customer the following day!

Support our amazing 5th graders by grabbing a Pajama Day wristband and wearing your comfiest PJs (no slippers!) this Friday January 16th. Every wristband helps make their final year extra fun and full of unforgettable memories. Wristbands are available to purchase Thursday and Friday mornings at drop-off gates!

Prospective Roberts' families interested in touring the campus may do so on the given tour dates below. All tours start promptly at 9AM and parents should check-in at reception with a valid form of ID 5 - 10 minutes before the start of the tour. Appointments are not necessary.

Tour Dates:
*NEW* Every Thursday until February 27th, 2026. Additionally, tours will also be held on the following Fridays:

• January 23
• February 20
• March 20
• April 24
• May 15

Tour Agenda:
9:00 AM- Welcome and School Overview
9:05 AM- Tour of the campus
9:45 AM - Q&A Session, Tour Conclusion

Great news! The online Auction will open at 4PM for VIP tickets and 5pm for General Admission tickets. JUST THINK of how much more fun you’ll have dining, dancing, and catching up with new and old friends!Get your Auction Soirée ticketsand support Roberts!

Can’t attend the evening event on 2/28? You can get a mobile bidder ticket and still participate in the auction! Mobile tickets on sale now too!

Tickets are going fast - few remain as we’re at 67% of our ticket sales goal! Don’t miss the fun - Get your Auction Soirée tickets today!

Find out more about Roberts PTO’s Auction Soirée.

Attention 5th grade Parents (and incoming Kinder students not zoned to Roberts), Phase 1 of the School Choice window opened December 9th, 2025 and closes on February 27th, 2026.

If you are planning to apply to a Vanguard/STEM/Fine Arts middle school or any middle school that is not your zoned campus, you will need to complete a School Choice transfer application when the window opens. Please see the attached flyer for a list of School Choice Fair dates to learn more about the different schools and their offerings. For more information on the School Choice process, please visit: the HISD School Choice website.

A student may receive up to three excused absences for attending tours following the protocol below:

• The student must be present at their enrolled campus during ADA.
• The parent must complete the survey at the touring campus and bring back documentation with tour date and time to the student’s enrolled campus upon return the following day.
• Excused absences will only be given for up to three different campuses.
• These excused absences will still be considered in the total number of absences for credit and plan purposes.

Come discover why Lanier Middle School stands out as one of HISD’s premier Vanguard Magnet campuses. Tours available select Thursdays and Tuesdays at 1PM.

Register for a Pershing fine arts magnet tour to hear about magnet opportunities for zoned students as well as accelerated academic pathways. Magnet tours are Thursdays at 1PM starting on November 6th and select Tuesdays at 10AM starting on November 11th.

Shop at Kroger? Link your Kroger shopper card with Roberts Elementary! Kroger gives the Roberts PTO hundreds of dollars every year just for doing your grocery shopping through its Community Rewards program. What an easy way to help!