DECEMBER 9, 2025 | ISSUE 17 | PTO | CONTACT

Thank you to everyone who came out and cheered on the PADRES during the 2025 Softball Tournament. What a great day for softball (and great entertainment)! The games were fantastic and competitive as always. Congratulations to the Great Sambinos for taking home the championship!

• Roberts annual Winter Festival Dec. 12
• Spring semester piano for kinder students
• Roberts Soccer in Final Four tournament today at 4PM
• All day spirit day at Candelari's Neighborhood Italiano today Dec. 9
• Class group photos from Lifetouch Dec. 16
• New staff member spotlight: Michael Brown
• Time to get jolly! December Dress Up Days begin Monday Dec. 15
• IB Exhibition mentors needed
• Epps Memory Box, submit your memories
• Exclusive RE discount for Ice Village at Rice Village
• Global Glam Auction Soirée tickets on sale now
• Tours for prospective RE families
• HISD School Choice tours and information
• Fundraise and save on holiday cards with Minted
• Support Roberts by shopping at Kroger

Have you ever wondered what a winter wonderland built on community spirit looks like? See for yourself at the 3rd Annual Roberts Winter Festival is this Friday December 12th from 5 - 7PM! Featuring:

• Faculty Caroling (at 6pm, not to be missed!)
• Hot chocolate
• Popcorn
• Crafts
• Face painting
• Cookie decorating
• and more provided (free!) by our PTO and community

Additional snacks and food will be available to purchase from 5th Grade Concessions and a Chic-Fil-A pop-up! The school store will also have a pop-up shop open during the Winter Festival. Show your spirit and get your Roberts hoodies, jackets, and quarter zips before "winter" in Houston is over!

Sign up to host a community table and show off your holiday traditions with food or crafts. To host a table, please email communitynight@robertspto.org by December 6th and let us know what you plan to do!

We still need donations of hot chocolate fixings, as well as volunteers to help with set up and manning the PTO tables. Click HERE to donate or volunteer!

Cheer on our Roberts Mustangs as they participate in the invitational Final Four tournament TODAY at 4PM in Blue Ridge Park! Admission and parking are free, but parking is limited so consider carpooling if you are able. Remember to bring your own seating! Let’s go Mustangs!

Mangia! Come for Spirit Day ALL DAY Tuesday, December 9th at Candelari's Neighborhood Italiano! 20% of proceeds are donated back to the Roberts PTO.

Capture class memories forever. Lifetouch will be on campus for group class photos next week on Tuesday December 16th. You can order online using Picture Day ID EVTTJBFMP or click on image below for prtintable order form.

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and graduated from the University of North Texas. I enjoy the variety that teaching offers, especially the challenge of finding a way for each student to learn and succeed. What makes Roberts so special is its people- I’ve been continually impressed by the expertise and dedication of the staff here. It’s truly a campus full of “master teachers.”

Outside of the classroom, I’m an avid aviation enthusiast and enjoy plane-spotting several times each week.

In the words of Kermit the Frog, 'tis the season to be jolly and joyous! (Editor's note: The Muppet Christmas Carol is required viewing, regardless of your holiday and/or religious affiliations). Share your holiday spirit as we count down to winter break! December Dress Up Days are Monday December 15th through Friday the 19th.

Our 5th Grade Exhibition is the culmination of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) journey — a capstone project that allows students to demonstrate their learning, inquiry skills, and action toward making a positive difference in the world. We are looking for Exhibition Mentors!

Mentors play a vital role in guiding students as they explore real-world issues connected to one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Topics range widely — from protecting endangered species to promoting quality education, reducing waste, and supporting equality.

Mentor Commitment:

• About 1 hour per week
• Serve as a guide to support students with brainstorming, refining research, organization, and presentation skills — while students complete all work independently
• You must be VIPS approved for the 2025 – 2026 school year
• Mentors will not be paired with their own child’s group

We welcome parents and community members with experience or interest in any field- science, technology, arts, business, health, social work, education, and more. If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, please fill out this form.

Let’s help our young inquirers make a meaningful impact through their Exhibition projects!

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- collections will be taken until winter break in December.

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.

Visit the first-ever "Ice Village at Rice Village" November 28th through January 4th - a festive outdoor ice-skating rink experience created to bring holiday cheer and community spirit to Houston.

Rice University invites Roberts students, families, and staff to join in the fun by offering an exclusive 10% discount on skating admission. Just use the code ICEROBERTS when purchasing tickets online at https://rice-village.com/landing/ice-village.

Time is running out for Auction Soirée Early Bird Discount!

NOW is the time to get your Auction Soirée tickets! Discount code earlybird2026 expires on 12/31! Save money, support Roberts, and make your 2025 donations now!

Our 2026 BIG ASK is a RE-juvenation for our building! Help us fund fixes for as many of the thousand little indignities of age as we can tackle.

2026 marks a remarkable milestone: 90 years of global learning at Roberts Elementary! Join us and honor this legacy by supporting the Auction Soirée. We have limited underwriting opportunities available to you! Learn more here.

Find out more about Roberts PTO’s Auction Soirée.

Prospective Roberts' families interested in touring the campus may do so on the given tour dates below. All tours start promptly at 9:00 AM 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:

• December 12
• 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

Attention 5th grade Parents (and incoming Kinder students not zoned to Roberts), Phase 1 of the School Choice window opens today 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.

The School Choice office is excited to host virtual parent sessions designed to help your family successfully navigate and understand the application process for the 2026-2027 school year. Join one of our sessions to get key information, timelines, and strategies needed for students entering Kindergarten through 12th grade. Please join us at the time that is most convenient for you!

Join Virtual Meetings via ZOOM Thursday December 11th 2025

• 12PM-1PM English / Inglés
  https://houstonisd-onmicrosoft.zoom.us/j/98527667954
• 6PM-7PM English / Inglés
  https://houstonisd-onmicrosoft.zoom.us/j/97769522083
• 12PM-1PM Spanish / Español
  https://houstonisd-onmicrosoft.zoom.us/j/97965580523
• 6PM-7PM Spanish / Español 12/11/25
  https://houstonisd-onmicrosoft.zoom.us/j/93455093973

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.

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 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! ❤️🐼🖤

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

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!