In honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month (November) here are some reminders on how you can support New Caney ISD’s Military Families: 

• Support education: Make military children feel welcome when they arrive in your children’s schools. When possible, be lenient with tryout dates and admission cut-offs. Recognize their achievements at other schools and find the best fit for them to thrive.

• Provide a helping hand: When a service member you know is deployed, offer a play date for their kids, run errands, assist with home repair, mow the lawn, cook dinner, or help with anything else that is so much easier to do when there are two parents in the home.

• Show your appreciation: Business owners can offer military discounts for service members and their families.

• Give a taste of home: Bake or cook for single military personnel who are living in the barracks or invite them over for a holiday when they’re stationed away from home.

• Be a friend: Having a spouse deployed is extremely difficult and having a shoulder to lean on eases the hardship.

• Be understanding: Civilians can offer employment opportunities to military spouses and understand that their lifestyle may cause time gaps in a military spouse's resume. It can be hard to establish a career while having to move to a new duty station every few years. Co-workers can rally behind the family of a deployed service member, providing a close-to-home support group.

First Lady Michelle Obama said, "This is about all of us Joining Forces as Americans.  And we can do it right where we live and work...If you ask any military family, they will tell you sometimes it’s the smallest things -- these simple gestures that say “thank you” that can make the biggest difference in their lives."

This month (November), our Nation honors the strength and sacrifices of the families, caregivers, and survivors of our veterans and our current service members.  They may not wear uniforms, but their service is essential to our national security and the character of our Nation. To be a veteran or a service member is to have endured and survived challenges most Americans will never know.  To be the family of one of those proud patriots is to sacrifice more for our country than most Americans will ever give.  During National Veterans and Military Families Month, we pay homage to the unrelenting bravery and dedication of all who wear the uniform and to the unwavering love and support of all who serve alongside them.  Families who put their lives on hold so our military can hold the line represent the best of America, and we will always remember what they do for our Nation.

We are in full swing now that the start of the school year has kicked off. Did you know that your campus has a parent family engagement policy that outlines how they will connect with you this year and how you can connect with them? It is posted on the campus website under the about tab in required postings. They are all posted under the parent/family engagement page for NCISD for easy access as well. At the end of the year, you also have the opportunity to provide feedback on how you feel the policy worked and if you would like to see any changes, Additionally, a lot of the campuses have created a parent family engagement calendar that outlines all the events happening at the campus month by month! Reach out to your campus today to get a copy, so you can mark the events on your calendar to get involved.

It is almost that time! School starts next week and everyone in the district is excited to have students back on campus and parents/families back involved in their students' academic success. With your help, we can make this year the best year. Some ways you can get ready and get involved are: 

• Make sure your student is registered for classes. 

• Make sure your student has all of the supplies they need. 

  • Don't have supplies? Don’t worry! Contact Kelly Johnson to see if we can help you acquire some supplies to get started. 

  • kjohnson@newcaneyisd.org 

  • 281-577-2051

• Practice eating with your kindergartener. 

  • Make sure they can open all of their items. 

  • Talk about the importance of cleaning up their trash. 

  • Talk about what should be packed back up after eating to take home. 

• Be on the lookout for meet the teacher/open house events! 

  • Elementary Meet the Teacher night: August 4th