NOVEMBER 4, 2025 | ISSUE 13 | PTO | CONTACT

A morning celebrating Ms. Epps' legacy and tenure at Roberts Elementary, while officially welcoming Ms. Zatzkin into her new leadership role. Courtesy of Wafa Taiym and DP Photography.

• Reminder, no school this Friday Nov 7!
• A message from Principal Zatzkin
• A note from PTO President
• Surplus Halloween candy? Donate it to the RE Staff Lounge
• Fundraise and save on holiday cards with Minted
• Epps Memory Box, submit your memories
• Roberts Soccer vs Harvard, today at 4PM!
• Buzz over and sign up for the Spelling Bee
• Cub Scout Rocket Day at Rice Nov. 16
• Texas Family Literacy Festival at Discovery Green Nov. 15
• RECamp Out registration full - waitlist available
• 2026 Auction Soirée tickets now on sale
• Pershing Middle School tours
• Community Health Services at HISD Brock Sunrise Center
• Get involved in the PTO and meet the committee chairs
• Support Roberts by shopping at Kroger

I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our students safe. Arrival and dismissal are the busiest times of our day, and your cooperation with our established procedures makes a tremendous difference for our students, staff, and neighbors.

Every guideline we have in place—from where to park, to how students enter and exit the building, to our carpool line expectations—exists for one primary purpose: the safety and well-being of our children. When everyone follows the same procedures, we are able to move students smoothly, maintain supervision, and reduce risks that can occur during high-traffic times.

I ask that each of you review and follow our arrival and dismissal procedures closely. A few minutes of patience and consistency from all of us helps create a safer and more predictable environment for every child. Please refrain from shortcuts, parking where it isn’t permitted, or entering restricted areas. These boundaries are not only school guidelines—they are safeguards that protect our entire community.

Thank you for doing your part, every day, to support a safe and orderly school environment. Your partnership allows us to focus on what matters most: helping students learn, thrive, and feel secure at Roberts Elementary.

A few things to remember about morning drop off:

• There is absolutely no parking allowed during drop off in the Circle Drive or on School Street.
• Students will wait inside the building near their lockers.
• Teachers are on duty to monitor the students once they enter the building.
• For the safety of our students and staff, parents are NOT allowed to enter the building.

PARENT WALK UP

The location for students awaiting parent walk-up is the flagpole area facing Greenbriar Drive.

• All parent pick-up students are seated inside of the building to wait for their parent/caregiver to arrive.
• Know the full name and grade level of the child you are picking up.
• There is only one gate for parents to enter at dismissal for parent walk-up. It is the small pedestrian gate off of Circle Drive.

Important Note: The after-school care program uses the covered blacktop area at dismissal. Therefore, it is imperative that this area remains off limits. Parents picking up students from after-school care early must report to reception for pick-up. DO NOT attempt to pick-up your child from the blacktop area. This is a violation of after-school care program guidelines and a safety issue.

CARPOOL

All parents will receive a carpool tag. All cars in the carpool line must have the numbered car tag displayed (regardless of whether you carpool with other families or are just picking up your own child). The pick-up line forms a single lane heading east on Swift Street (from Greenbriar) and turning south onto School Street (see the Afternoon Dismissal Routes and Parking Map). The line begins to form approximately 15 minutes before dismissal time. As a courtesy to your fellow Roberts parents and to ensure our children’s safety, please:

• Do NOT “skip” the pick-up line by approaching it from the east side of Swift Street. Doing so is inconsiderate to others who have been waiting on Swift Street and it slows down pick-up.
• Do NOT turn left onto School Street from Addison.
• Do NOT park your car for any amount of time (whether you remain in the car or not) on School or Swift Streets while the pick-up line is in progress.
• Remain in your car at all times, including when your child is entering the vehicle. Our faculty and staff are available to assist with students entering the car. Do NOT get out of your car.
• Refrain from using your cell phone while in the pick-up line.
• Follow the directions of the staff to move your car as far forward in line as possible before your child enters the car.
• Have your child use ONLY the curbside doors of your car. Staff are prohibited from loading students on the street side of the car.

INDEPENDENT WALKERS

Parents may elect for their 2nd through 5th grade students to be an independent walker. Kindergarten and 1st grade students may only be an independent walker if they are walking with an older sibling (2nd through 5th grade). A daily card system will be utilized to track students as they exit.

BUS RIDERS

Students who ride an HISD bus or a private bus service will check in with a staff member at the designated location at dismissal to board the bus.

AFTER-SCHOOL CARE (iKids)

Students participating in the after-school program will check in with an iKids staff member at the designated location. Parents picking up students from the after-school care program must report to reception for pick-up using the iKids app.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to send out a note of gratitude to everyone who has supported our school, especially in the past two weeks. Your acts of encouragement, love, and celebration of Ms. Epps, Ms. Zatzkin, Ms. Tran, and the teachers have been like a big, pumpkin-spiced hug to Roberts.

I want to give special thanks to some dedicated parents who put together last Saturday’s Principals Celebration in a very short amount of time. It was a beautiful and heartfelt event. Amanda Voie, Amanda Parker, Catalina Pastore, Sandy Do, Craig Ross (with our new sound system!), and our PTO Executive Committee - thank you all for jumping in and making wonderful memories for Roberts. Seeing both new families and so many alumni families show up, wow, what a testament to how much Roberts means to this community! We are a family and will always be family, no matter where life takes you.

Please make sure you come to our November PTO Meeting—Friday, November 14^th at 8am. This will be a great opportunity to hear from Principal Zatzkin and get to know her if you don’t already! Oh, and coffee!

The past two weeks have also been a whirlwind of activities—Book Fair (great job, Sarah Howard, Jessica Garcia, Paula Doolin), the Roberts Choir at Rice Football (thank you Abby Delisio and Mr. Lacy), the Traditions Feast, Booktacular, and a hoppin’ spirit night at Hopdoddy, among others.

We have many more events coming up, including our Campout, the Roberts vs. Poe Soccer Match (you don’t want to miss it! A house divided, what will Epps wear?!?), the PADRES Softball Game, and our Winter Festival, not to mention spirit nights, grade-level shows, field trips, and PTO maintenance projects galore.

It is never too late to get involved and show your kid that service to others is the best gift you can give this holiday season.

WE ARE ROBERTS!

An important reminder that early pick up ends promptly at 2:30PM. If you need to sign your child out early, parents should email both their child's teacher and res@houstonisd.onmicrosoft.com to make them aware. Always arrive at least 5 - 10 minutes early in case there are delays due to students being at recess, lunch, or ancillary.

Is there any group of people sweeter than our incredible Roberts Elementary staff members? Do you want your kid's 5 pound haul of Halloween candy tempting you every time you turn the corner in your house?

The answer to both of those questions is a resounding no, so! Donate your excess candy and help us fill the treat jars in the staff lounge. Enjoy one last piece and then bag it up for you or your student to drop off at reception.

Past donations have been a huge hit! Your dentist and our wonderful staff thank you!

Minted holiday cards offer a 20% discount and fundraising donation to the Roberts PTO if you use the code FUNDRAISEROBERTSPTO when buying.

To celebrate Ms Epps' tenure at Roberts, we will be collecting letters and compiling a book of memories for her. For those wanting to participate, we have two options:

1. Write a handwritten letter and attach a photo or memento to be included in her memory book and drop off at one of our Epps Memory boxes. Be sure to sign your name, child's name, and year(s) you’ve been with Roberts community! You can find the Epps Memory box at reception.

2. Email an electronic letter to 90th@robertspto.org. Please attach a picture or artwork if you’d like! The letter can be a “ Remember when … “ prompt and share a funny, stressful, or otherwise memorable occasion. Your letter will not be public, just compiled into a book and shared with only Ms Epps.

Thank you for participating! Please send any inquiries to the 90th@robertspto.org email.

Come cheer on our Roberts Soccer Team as they take on Harvard Elementary! Today Tuesday, November 4th at 4PM!

The 2025–2026 Spelling Bee Qualifier is open to all 2nd through 5th grade students and will take place on Wednesday, November 12 at 2PM. If your child is interested in participating, sign up here.

Students will receive the spelling list after their registration is received. The deadline to sign up is this Friday, November 7th. Please email Ms. Tran at Kristina.tran@houstonisd.org if you have any questions.

Sunday November 16th is Rocket Day at Rice University, 12:30PM to 2:30PM. Cub Scout Pack 505 and other packs will be launching Estes model rockets on an intramural field near Reckling Park (Rice baseball stadium).

Come learn more about Cub Scouting or to watch the fun! If you join Cub Scouts you will receive an Estes Rocket to launch. It's a BLAST!

More information is available here- please RSVP at the link if interested in attending!

The Texas Family Literacy Festival is an event made just for families!

Story Square presents a day of feel-good, family learning fun filled with prizes, giveaways, free books, zones of fun created for every member of the family to enjoy together, performances throughout the day, special meet-the-author story times, great vendors, and much more. There will also be a featured performance from the Roberts Dance Company!

So, journey to a special haven for families and enjoy the bliss of alphabet magic! Come and enjoy being together!

Discovery Green - Saturday, November 15, 2025 - 10:00AM-6:30PM

Free tickets are available with Eventbrite Registration- click here to snag for the whole family. Interested in competing as a family for the Blue Bonnet Book Brawl? Click here to learn more. To view Story Square's Save the Date announcement, click here.

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED! If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please email PADRES@RobertsPTO.org

Adult volunteers are still needed and are the only adults who will receive a Camp Out t-shirt. Sign up today!

Roberts is the lowest-funded elementary in HISD, receiving only 59% of the average HISD per-student expenditure and less than half the national average. That’s not enough to give our kids the education that Roberts takes pride in offering.

How do we bridge the difference? Our amazing community donates time, effort, skill, and money. Our PTO contributes to everything from securing our IB certification to repairing broken drawers. And the auction brings in one third of the PTO budget!

With Roberts turning 90, our 2026 auction goal is a RE-juvenation for our building, including:

● brightening the Greenbriar main entrance,

● new mosaic art, showcases for our awards, freshening our dated Café, and

● fixes for as many of the thousand little indignities of age as we can tackle.

There’s a lot to do, but a successful auction means we can do it together. Get your tickets now and show Roberts your love!

Help us spread the word! Pershing Middle School is looking for next year’s class of Pandas 2026-2027! Join us for our Magnet Tours starting Thursday, November 6th at 1:00 PM (please arrive by 12:50). We are excited to show you our amazing fine arts programs, exciting extracurricular activities, and outstanding academics.

Come see what being a Pershing Panda is all about! ❤️🐼🖤 Magnet Tours are on Thursdays at 1PM and select Tuesdays at 10AM. Phase 1 of HISD School Choice lottery opens December 9th.

Please the provided link to register.

A reminder that the district is offering free vaccinations monthly on specific dates at the HISD Sunrise Center Brock location. Please see attached flyer for more information.

Hello, my name is Savannah Bourgeois, and I currently serve as the Corresponding Secretary of the PTO and Co-Chair of the Garden and Grounds Committees at Roberts Elementary. Prior to my involvement here, I spent 13 years in education, 11 of them as an elementary art teacher - a background that has given me a deep appreciation for what makes a school truly exceptional. Roberts stands out in every way.

Since my daughter Remy—now in fourth grade—began attending Roberts in Kindergarten, I’ve had the privilege of volunteering in a wide variety of roles. These have included serving as a room parent, gardening, planting and harvesting vegetables with students, shelving books in the library, supporting after-school events, distributing prizes during the Fun Run, working the register at the Book Fair, selling tickets at Carnival, and helping display student artwork for Art Night. Each experience has allowed me to connect with our vibrant community and witness firsthand the dedication and warmth that define Roberts.

One of the things I love most about Roberts is the incredible range of volunteer opportunities available—whether large or small, on campus or from home. There’s truly something for everyone, and every contribution helps sustain the welcoming, high-quality environment our children thrive in.

We’d love to have you join us in keeping Roberts the best school around. I look forward to meeting you at school events throughout the year!

Give a little time, make a big impact - join a PTO Committee!

Check out the PTO committee descriptions! For all volunteers, 2025-2026 VIPS clearance is required.

Shop at Kroger? Link your Kroger shopper card with Roberts Elementary! Kroger gives the Roberts PTO $100s every year just for doing your grocery shopping through its Community Rewards program. What an easy way to help!