MAY 19, 2026 | ISSUE 37 | PTO | CONTACT

Artist-turned-muralist Zaman Latif wanted to give back to the community he loves! Zaman is a Roberts Elementary alumni from the Class of 2020 and is currently a junior at Energy Institute High School. Roberts teachers Ms. Villasenor, Ms. Estrada, Ms. Terrill, and Ms. Lynch joined together on Saturday for our second Community Mural Day. A special thank you to Ms. Moliver for organizing volunteers!

• A message from Principal Zatzkin
• NWEA Testing this week
• Library books due to library Friday May 22
• Name That Book informational meeting
• Transportation survey for 2026-2027 school year
• Raising Cane's spirit tonight!
• Fifth Grade IB Exhibition Thursday May 21
• Mustang Rally May 22, volunteers needed
• Annual IB Portfolio Picnics
• Chess Club openings for fall 2026
• Purchase next year's school supplies
• G/T testing interest form for fall 2026
• 2026-2027 iKids registration open
• Summer soccer clinics with Coach Montoya
• Family fun Fridays at the playground have returned

Dear Roberts Families,

You are invited to join us for a Coffee with the Principal focused on campus safety at Roberts Elementary School. I know that student safety is always a top priority for our families and staff, and I want to provide an opportunity to share information, answer questions, and discuss the systems and procedures we have in place to keep our students safe.

Date: Tuesday, May 26th 2026
Time: 8am
Location: Roberts Cafe

During this meeting, I will review:

• Campus safety protocols and procedures
• Communication processes during emergencies
• Coordination with law enforcement and district safety teams
• Ways families can support campus safety efforts
  
  

I value our partnership with families and appreciate your continued support as we work together to maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all students. I hope that you will join us for this important conversation.

We have begun our campus NWEA testing, 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 middle of the year in each subject area (reading, math, and science). Kindergarten and 1st grade students will only take the math portion.

• May 19th – Math NWEA testing for grades 2nd through 5th; Kindergarten and 1st grade will test throughout this week.
• May 20th – Reading NWEA testing for grades 2nd through 5th.
• May 21st – Science NWEA testing for grades 2nd through 5th.

Please email Ms. Tran at Kristina.tran@houstonisd.org if you have any questions about NWEA testing.

Dear Roberts Families,

All library books are regretfully due back to the Roberts Library by Friday, May 22 so I can complete our end-of-year inventory! If a book has been lost, please email me at cnelson5@houtonisd.org so I can assist you.

Although I appreciate the effort, please do not send a replacement book you have bought from Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, or another source. All replacements must be ordered through a district-approved vendor to ensure they are the correct edition, properly processed, and durable for student use.

Thank you, always, for your support! Sincerely, Ms. Nelson

If your child is interested in joining our Name That Book Team, we will be holding a student-only informational meeting Thursday May 21st from 3:00-4:00 PM to share details and answer questions!

Name That Book is an HISD academic competition for students in grades 3rd through 5th. This is not a “read for pleasure” club- students focus only on the 25 books from the official Name That Book list. Students should be prepared to:

• Read and reread the books multiple times
• Read for comprehension
• Memorize direct quotes from each book

During the competition, students are given a quote and must identify the book it comes from. If your child is interested in reading at a competitive level and representing Roberts at the district contest, please have your child attend the meeting and return the attached form to Ms. Nelson or Ms. Brigman no later than Thursday, May 21st. If you are unable to attend this meeting, we will host another meeting in the fall.

If your student is on an approved IB transfer and will need bus transportation next year, this message is for you. The district has launched the HISD Transportation Request Survey for the 2026-2027 school year. Please read the important information below, then click the link to complete your transportation request.

• Complete the survey for each child you want to request transportation.
• Even if your student was assigned a bus route or METRO card for 2025-2026, the survey request must be completed again for 2026-2027.
• Completing this survey will allow the HISD Transportation Department to determine your child’s eligibility for bus/METRO service. Transportation services will be provided only to students who are eligible. Eligibility notifications will be sent via ParentSquare during the summer.
• Bus stops for eligible students attending their zoned school will be within 2 miles of a student’s home address.
• Bus stops for eligible students attending a school of choice will be established to minimize student ride times on the bus. Most students will be assigned a bus stop within 3 miles of their home address, but some students will have bus stops that are farther than three miles to ensure shorter transport times.

The priority deadline for requesting transportation is June 4! Click here to access the survey. If you have questions about the 2026-2027 HISD Transportation Survey, please contact HISD Transportation via the Transportation Support Form.

Chicken chicken chicken, what combo you pickin? Skip cooking dinner and join us at Raising Cane's today Tuesday May 19th from 3:00-8:00 PM. You don't have to cook and 15% of sales goes back to Roberts, it's win win!

The 5th Grade IB Exhibition will take place this Thursday May 21st, at 6:00PM. We invite our community to join us as our 5th grade students share their learning and insights on topics they are passionate about. The exhibition is a collaborative, in-depth inquiry into real-world issues that highlights students’ research, learning, and application of the IB Learner Profile.

The annual Mustang Rally will be held Friday May 22nd at Rice University from 4:30 - 6:30PM. We are in need of parent volunteers to help make this event a success! We are looking for volunteers for CHECK IN, GATE KEEPERS, and TIMERS.

• Check-In volunteers will check in the runners and give out appropriate wrist bands and bibs.
• Gate Keepers will corral the runners according to grade/gender to run their segment of the race.
• Timers will work a stopwatch (or two) and make sure we get accurate times for all the runners in each race.

You must be VIPs approved to volunteer! To sign-up for volunteering, please use this link.

Roberts annual Portfolio Picnics offer a chance for students to share their IB portfolios and reflections on the school year with parents and loved ones. Please make a date with your child and bring a picnic lunch and blanket to share to the front lawn of Roberts

This is a special opportunity for parents and their children to eat lunch together and review the students' IB portfolios. We are hoping every parent will be able to attend this very special event! We are also offering one evening Portfolio Picnic on Thursday, May 28th from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45PM.If you have children in multiple grades, we encourage you to attend the evening picnic!

The picnics for 1st though 5th grade students will take place May 26th-28th. All parents must RSVP by this FRIDAY May 22nd. The Picnic will take place during your child’s lunch time. Please refer to the table below for the extended lunch schedule.

The Kindergarten Portfolio Picnic Breakfast will take place on Friday, May 22nd at 8AM. Please RSVP here for the Kindergarten picnic by TOMORROW May 20th.

Ready to jump into the Roberts Chess Club? Here's your chance! Taught by National Master Justin Gardner and Coach Kacey, spots are now open for the Fall Session for rising 1st through 5th graders.

Beginners Class (this is for students that are completely new to chess and do not know the names of the pieces or how anything moves)

• A 15-week long (30 classes) chess course on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-4:15PM
• August 17th/19th – December 16th/18th
• Beginners Group Taught by Coach Kacey

Novice/Intermediate/Advanced Class

• A 16-week long (32 classes) chess course on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00-4:15PM, with optional Tournament Class from 4:15-5:15PM
• August 18th/20th – December 15th/17th
• Novice Group Taught by Coach Kacey, Intermediate/Advanced Taught by Coach Justin
  
  

See complete details and sign up here: https://hot-chess.com/roberts/

Order your school supplies for the 2026-2027 school year today! The easiest way to order the exact supplies our teachers have requested for next year. No searching multiple stores, no guessing brands, no wondering if you selected the right item. In a few clicks, you can check school supplies off your to-do list.

The Roberts school supplies fairies will deliver everything directly to your child's classroom and ready for the first day of school in August. Click here to place your order today!

Gifted and Talented Testing is available for students currently enrolled in Kinder-12th grades and those entering Kindergarten 2027-2028 (entering Kindergarten 2027-2028 students’ birthdates must be between 9/2/2021 – 9/1/2022). Complete the interest form to receive a link to register for the Fall G/T testing.

Please note this is NOT a request for G/T testing. The G/T Testing request will shared once available and more information regarding G/T testing will be sent to the e-mail address provided in the form.

Registration is open for the 2026 – 2027 School Year! Enroll now to secure your student's spot and preferred schedule! iKids U offers a variety of after-school opportunities onsite at Roberts Elementary- including Stay & Play, Enrichment, and One on One services. Customize your child’s after-school schedule with part-time and full-time options anywhere from one to five days per week.

View the registration flyer and click here to register for iKids at RES After School. Please contact iKids via phone at 713-665-5200 or via email at support@ikidsinc.com with any questions. Visit www.ikidsinc.com for more information.

Soccer skills clinics are returning this summer with Coach Montoya! These sessions will focus on speed, technique, agility, strength, and a deeper understanding of the game. Each session is customized to the child’s skill level, with the goal for them to have fun while also learning and improving their soccer abilities.

The clinics are open to all, participants do not need to attend Roberts. All necessary equipment will be provided; athletes only need to bring their own water. Participants will be grouped by age for small-group sessions.

The program will begin the week of June 9th and run through July 30th at Roberts Elementary Soccer Field (attendance at all sessions isn't required). Scan the QR code or click the flier below for more information and to complete registration!

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 Street until the carpool line clears around 3:30PM!