OCTOBER 20, 2026 | ISSUE 11 | PTO | CONTACT

• Book Fair is coming! Oct. 26-30
• Family Fun Fridays are back at Roberts playground
• Incoming Kindergarten Open House Oct. 23 - RSVP
• Annual Roberts International Festival Oct. 23
• Roberts 90th Anniversary Celebration Oct. 25
• Booktacular Dress Up Day Oct. 30
• Yearbook now on sale, discounted until Oct. 31
• PADRES Campout Nov. 6 - volunteers needed
• Re-Enchanted Garden Auction Soirée tickets on sale Oct. 24
• Roberts vs Harvard soccer game Oct. 26
• Lanier Junior dance clinic Nov. 14
• Spelling Bee Qualifier, sign up by Nov. 5
• Volunteer and get involved with the PTO
• HISD School Choice portal launches Dec. 8
• Magnet Middle School tours

The Book Fair is almost here! Get ready to stock up on great reads and support our school — a portion of all sales will go back to Roberts!

Here’s what to know:

• Shopping during school: Every student will visit the fair during their weekly library time. Send your child with cash, or buy a gift card (see more info below) ahead of time at https://literati.com/a/store (click “Connect To My School” and search “Roberts”). Books range in price from $6 to $39 (for a boxed set).
• Teachers’ wish lists: Once you’re connected to Roberts, you can also buy books from our teachers’ wish lists. It’s a great way to support your child’s classroom!
• Family Shopping Night: Wednesday, October 28th, 4:30 – 7:30 PM. Come shop together! We accept cash, credit cards, and gift cards!
• Volunteers needed! We need help during the school day (shifts available from 7:15AM to 3:15PM) and at Family Night, helping kids find books and check out. You must be an approved HISD VIPS volunteer. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090949ABA82BAAFA7-66440431-roberts#/

How to Buy a Book Fair Gift Card

1. Go to https://literati.com/a/store and click “Connect to My School.”
2. Search “Roberts.” It’s the first result and says “Fair is Live.” Select it and click Connect.
3. On the Roberts Book Fair page, click “Get a Gift Card,” enter an amount, and click Add to Cart.
4. Choose “For a student to use at a book fair” → Continue.
5. Enter your child’s name (or your family name to share one card), the email to send it to, and their homeroom teacher’s name → Continue.
6. The “From” section: assume you are sending to yourself, so don’t worry too much about this one!
7. Click “Buy Again” to add another card, or “Go to Cart” to check out.
8. Pay with credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
9. The gift card is emailed to you. Please print it and send it with your child! The fair can look up cards by student name, but a printed copy is a good backup.

Thank you for supporting our readers and our library!

Starting this Friday October 23, 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!

Spread the word: If you know any children who live in the Roberts zone entering Kindergarten Fall 2027, please make sure they are aware and encourage their attendance at our Kindergarten Open House, this Friday October 23rd at 8:30AM.

Let all your neighbors know that Roberts is the best elementary school option for their child! Prospective families are encouraged to RSVP here. Kids welcome!

The Roberts International Festival is here Friday, October 23rd! This is a favorite Roberts event - be a part of it by volunteering or hosting a country booth. As with any great event, volunteers make it happen! Please see below for opportunities to be involved in making the International Festival a success-

• General Volunteers: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805084FAAA72EA4F49-66212118-international
• Student Volunteers (open to middle and high schoolers): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805084FAAA72EA4F49-66211866-roberts

Email internationalfestival@robertspto.org for more information or if you'd like to host a country booth. Check out the list of countries currently represented below!

Come celebrate Roberts Elementary's 90th Anniversary this Sunday, October 25th from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Roberts Elementary. We will have an open house and party with student performances, school tours, historical display, and cake! Everyone is welcome!

Our program STARTS at 2pm at the Basketball Pavilion, so please come early to get a seat (or better yet, bring your own chair!) RSVP today for you and your family!

The annual PADRES Campout is coming up on November 6th and registration has closed! An event of this scale is only possible through the dedication of our community. A huge thank you to everyone who has already stepped up to help!

To ensure everything runs smoothly, we are looking for more volunteers to fill 1.5 to 2-hour shifts both before and during the event.
Note: We also have a few spots available for parents who aren't registered for the campout but would like to assist with setup or check-in. As a reminder, volunteers are the only adults who will receive an official Campout T-shirt.

Please use the following link to register for a volunteer shift: Roberts Elementary PTO - Campout Volunteers Nov. 6-7, 2026.Let's go Campout!

The Roberts Auction Soirée is one of the school’s most beloved traditions, where we leave the kids at home to have a great time with the grownups who make this community great. We’ll enjoy hot food (with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options), cold drinks (alcoholic or non), music, games, camaraderie, and friendly competitions from the casino to the dance floor.

It’s a chance to connect with parents and teachers, a party to remember, and a FUNdraiser where we pull together one third of the PTO budget. Tickets on sale 10/24 with early bird discounts!

Love hosting parties for a cause? Host one for Roberts! Community-hosted auction parties are a particularly special offering at our Auction Soirée- and a major source of funding for our PTO. Here’s how it works:

• A host family plans a party. Place, time, theme, and budget are theirs to decide.

• Auction attendees buy tickets to the event.

• The PTO receives the ticket money.

• The hosts throw the party–and have a great time supporting the school!

Attending family-hosted parties is a great way to make new friends at Roberts, and to spend time with old ones. Maybe you could throw a party yourself? Contact AuctionParties@robertspto.org with questions or ideas!

Come out and cheer on our Roberts team as they take on Harvard October 26th! Bring the whole family and join us for a fun afternoon filled with soccer, school spirit, and our wonderful Roberts community. We’d love to see the sidelines full of Mustang fans cheering on our players!

Please bring your own chairs or blankets for seating. The School Street gate will open at 3:30 PM, so come early, grab a good spot, and get ready to cheer! See you on the field — Go Roberts!

Learn and perform with the award winning Lanier Dance Program! The Lanier Junior Dance Clinic is a fun activity for children in grades K-5. Kids are invited to Lanier Middle School Saturday November 14th to learn two age-appropriate dance routines, play games, and have a snack.

The clinic registration fee includes a clinic t-shirt and snack. At the end of the clinic, participants perform their routines for family and friends!

Celebrate your favorite stories by dressing up on Booktacular Day, Friday October 30th! Don't forget to bring a copy of the book depicting the character you've chosen to dress up as!

Remember all costumes must be appropriate for school- this includes no weapons, gore, masks, or inappropriate language.

Roberts 2026-2027 year book is now available to order- purchase before Saturday October 31st for 10% off. Click or scan the QR code below and enter Roberts' school code 1014763033911424 to order today!

The 2026–2027 Spelling Bee Qualifier is open to all 2nd through 5th grade students and will take place on Monday, November 16th 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 Thursday, November 5th. Please email Ms. Tran at Kristina.tran@houstonisd.org if you have any questions.

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 part of a successful school year, we encourage families who plan to volunteer on campus, chaperone a field trip, or have lunch with their child 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.

VIPS approval does not roll over from one school year to the next, so all volunteers must complete a new application each school year after Aug 10. The HISD volunteer handbook can be found here.

Want to volunteer but can't commit to joining a specific committee? Just want to put up canopies or take down signs? Join the Roberts REady Volunteer What's App group! We will post general needs for volunteers or needs for help. WE ARE ROBERTS READY!

Attention 5th grade Parents (and incoming Kinder students not zoned to Roberts)- the Phase 1 School Choice Application will launch on December 8, 2026, and will close on February 12, 2027. Please see key dates for the application timeline below. Reach out to the Office of School Choice and Enrollment for additional support: SchoolChoice@houstonisd.org

For additional resources, please visit the School Choice website at https://www.houstonisd.org/schoolchoice. This is especially important for our families who plan to apply to HISD non-zoned middle schools for the 2027 – 2028 school year.

Attention 5th grade parents! Come discover what makes Lanier Middle School one of HISD’s premier Vanguard Magnet schools and see what sets Lanier apart.

Register for a Pershing Middle School tour to explore our advanced academic pathways, award-winning fine arts, competitive sports and magnet opportunities for zoned students. Scan below or use the link to register.