Dear Parents:

We made it and what a year it’s been! From fun field trips to park play dates and birthday celebrations, we've shared so many wonderful moments together as part of Ms. Amy's class. Despite all the transitions our class has experienced, I know that we are all thrilled to see our kiddos getting ready to move up to 1st grade.

As we wrap up the year, here are two important events to keep in mind because we need your help to make this final week a success:

Thursday, May 29, 2025: Field Day! Your kiddos will be outside so please send a towel, water bottle, and change of clothes (it's going to be muddy and kids will get wet!) Parents should not plan to attend field day unless they are a registered volunteer.

Friday, May 30, 2025: Graduation Day! Please arrive at 1:30pm so we can celebrate our kiddos' graduation for kindergarten. In addition to a brief presentation by Ms. Amy, we'll have a backdrop and photography offered by my husband, McArthur Freeman. All kids will be provided with an individual graduation cap (black) and tassel (gold) to take home. Feel free to dress students in their "fanciest attire" to commemorate this special day. Parents must be VIPS approved to participate in graduation. Please also complete the Sign-up Genius to tell us what you will share with the class: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4FA4AC2CA4FE3-57087323-kindergarten

This may likely be my final message to you in my capacity as classroom parent. I will be traveling internationally so I will not be at the events this week. Please know that it's been an honor and pleasure working in collaboration with so many of you to make this year a success. Let's continue communicating via text during the summer for future play dates.

All the best,

Elizabeth (AKA "Janelle's mom")

919-357-8896

Dear Poe parents:

Apologies for this weekend message! I've just received notice that parents are invited to come see their kids during Art Day on Friday, March 7th at Poe Elementary. The kids will have art events throughout the day, but parents are invited to visit during the Kinder Chalk time from 11:15-11:50am. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X0FUzawFRuK4wSe_D1p5_6h0tm4IxVkj9Hqge-6Ul9k/edit?tab=t.0

This is a wonderful Poe tradition, so we hope to see you all turn out again!

Best,

Elizabeth

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Estimados padres de Poe:

¡Mis disculpas por este mensaje de fin de semana! Acabo de recibir la notificación de que los padres están invitados a venir a ver a sus hijos durante el Día del Arte el viernes 7 de marzo. Los niños tendrán eventos durante todo el día, pero los padres están invitados a visitar durante el tiempo de Kinder Chalk de 11:15 a 11:50 a.m.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X0FUzawFRuK4wSe_D1p5_6h0tm4IxVkj9Hqge-6Ul9k/edit?tab=t.0

¡Esta es una maravillosa tradición de Poe, así que esperamos verlos a todos nuevamente!

Saludos,

Elizabeth

Dear Poe parents (Ms Wright):

I wanted to send a note out on our official communication stream to thank each and every one of you who volunteered today to help make our field trip to Little Beakers and Levy Park a success. Who would have thought that we would get through five experiments and still have time for lunch at the park?! It was a pretty hectic day, and the field trip would not have been successful without the help of nearly ONE DOZEN parents from our class alone who came out to lend a helping hand. Special thanks, again, to Crystal for chaperoning on the bus and to the amazing Ms. Gibson for wrangling them all together :) If folks have photos or videos that they want to share, send them to my email (lizhf@me.com) and I can create a link for folks (in one place). If folks do NOT want their child's face to be in photos, please also let me know. 

Have a great weekend because the Houston Rodeo is here - Yeee-haww!!!

Best,

Elizabeth

Hi Poe parents:

Long time, no hear, I know! :) I hope you all are having a great week, and are ready for updates! First, I want to send a shout out to the families that attended the Father-Daughter Dance - I saw some awesome pictures of Janelle, Louisa, Libby, Madeleine, Dillon, Lucy, Ava, and many more. If you have pictures, be sure to add them to the Poe Yearbook link.

This week we'll celebrate Valentine's Day and Ms. Wright has asked me to create a sign-up sheet  for folks. Please sign up to bring items for the kiddos to enjoy at the party by WEDNESDAY. The kids can ALSO bring Valentine's for their peers (24), so we hope you'll send in a few snacks to make it a fun time! Unfortunately, family members are not allowed to attend the Thursday party.

Final note, don't forget there is no school on Friday or on Monday and on February 22nd, we have the Poe Auction. When Ms. Amy gives the thumbs up, we'll create a reading schedule for the class.

Best,

Elizabeth 

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Hola, padres de Poe:

¡Hace tiempo que no nos comunicamos, lo sé! :) ¡Espero que todos estén teniendo una excelente semana y estén listos para las actualizaciones! Primero, quiero enviar un saludo a las familias que asistieron al Baile de Padre e Hija. Vi unas fotos increíbles de Janelle, Louisa, Libby, Madeleine, Dillon, Lucy, Ava y muchos más. Si tienen fotos, asegúrense de agregarlas al enlace del Anuario de Poe.

Esta semana celebraremos el Día de San Valentín y la Sra. Wright me ha pedido que cree un link para los artículos que se van a traer. Por favor, inscríbanse para traer cosas para que los niños disfruten en la fiesta antes del MIÉRCOLES. Los niños también pueden traer Valentinas para sus compañeros (24), ¡así que esperamos que traigan algunos bocadillos para hacer de esto un momento divertido! Lamentablemente, no se permite que los miembros de la familia asistan a la fiesta del jueves.

Última nota, no olviden que no hay escuela el viernes ni el lunes, y el 22 de febrero tenemos la subasta de Poe. Cuando la Sra. Amy nos dé el visto bueno, crearemos un horario de lectura para la clase.

Saludos,

Elizabeth

Dear parents:

Tomorrow is the big day! Remember, your kiddos are encouraged to wear pajamas to school on Friday and, later in the day, we'll have pizza, cupcakes, cookie decorations, and ornament making. Parents are invited to join us, and we ask that you arrive at 2pm for the party. And, before the end of the day, I'll present Ms. Amy with our class gift, which is a gift card for $250. Thank you all so much for your generous contributions.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Best,

Elizabeth

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Queridos padres:

¡Mañana es el gran día! Recuerden que se anima a los niños a venir a la escuela en pijamas el viernes y, más tarde en el día, tendremos pizza, cupcakes, decoración de galletas y fabricación de adornos. Los padres están invitados a unirse a nosotros, y les pedimos que lleguen a las 2 p.m. Además, antes de que termine el día, presentaré a la Sra. Amy nuestro regalo de clase, que es una tarjeta de regalo por $250. Muchas gracias a todos por sus generosas contribuciones.

¡Espero verlos allí!

Saludos,

Elizabeth

Dear Parents of Ms. Amy Wright's class:

We’re in the home stretch now, with the holiday break just around the corner! Things are starting to pile up, but one thing we can all look forward to—besides our slightly excessive dress-up days at Poe—is the Holiday Party! Be sure to send your kiddos to school in their PJs on the last day (12/20) for some hot chocolate and Polar Express fun. We’ll be in full holiday spirit!

Speaking of the last day, we need help to pull together the class holiday party next Friday, 12/20. If you can help with the usual supplies that would be great: we need water, plates, cups, napkins, etc. Please use the sign-up link below to tell us what you plan to bring and ... yes, drumroll ... parents are invited! Please arrive at 2pm :)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4FA4AC2CA4FE3-53908367-msamys 

Now, since we are channeling holiday cheer—Ms. Wright has been so busy getting the classroom in tip-top shape that she hasn’t had time to send me her Favorite Things list. But, we can still organize a class gift for her. If you’d like to contribute, please feel free to do so via CashApp ($EHordge) or Zelle (preferred) at 919-357-8896. No pressure at all—especially if you already have your own special gift for her in mind.

Thanks so much, y’all! Let’s finish the year strong as get ready for 2025!

Warmly,
Elizabeth

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Hi folks:

We’ve almost made it to the end of the week! I have a few updates to share as we prepare for the weekend:

(1) Career Day: Our class is having Career Day again tomorrow (Friday). Not everyone got the memo that Career Day was today, so Ms. Amy is encouraging kids who didn’t know about it today to optionally dress up tomorrow. She has them do something really cool with their costumes. She has extra costumes for anyone that may not have something…

(2) Office time: Some parents have been asking when they can meet with Ms. Amy individually. She is available 8:45-9:15am on Mondays, but she requires a week advanced notice since that is her planning time. You may reach out to her by email to schedule it.

(3) Thank you to the Parent Reader volunteers! We now have all of our weekly readers scheduled through December.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, 11/15 - 5:30pm - Movie Night (Elf) at Poe Elementary’s Basketball court

Sat, 11/16 - 9-12pm - Beautification @ Poe

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!!!

Best,

Elizabeth

Hi Poe Parents (Ms. Amy’s Room):

It’s a new week and there are loads of updates ... so get ready!

1. TOMORROW, Wed, 11/13, 3:15-4:15pm: We will have Open House with Ms. Wright for those who missed the first one.  
2. Sign-up to Read: We have space for ONE parent to come in to read each week for the next four weeks of school. If you sign up, you can also have lunch with your child on the day that you read. Lunch begins at 10:15am. Please sign up and we'll assign you on a first come, first serve basis. If you've already read, please allow other parents the opportunity to sign up for a slot. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4FA4AC2CA4FE3-53155784-mswrights.
3. Holidays around the World: If your family is NOT originally from the US and you would like to share your cultural background with Ms. Amy, please send her an email about your country of origin and about any cultural holidays you celebrate during December.
4. Class DoJo: Ms. Wright is active on Class Dojo so check it out to view points for your kiddos.
5. Snacks: We need snacks for the class. Please feel free to send healthy, low-sugar snacks such as raisins, dried apricot, pretzels, mandarin oranges, popcorn (lightly salted), and banana chips. 

Enjoy the week! The Peek of the Week and a picture of Ms. Amy teaching the kiddos using her birthday orchid are attached.

Best,

Elizabeth

Hi Poe Parents (Ms. Amy’s Room):

It’s a new week and there are loads of updates ... so get ready!

1. TOMORROW, Wed, 11/13, 3:15-4:15pm: We will have Open House with Ms. Wright for those who missed the first one.  
2. Sign-up to Read: We have space for ONE parent to come in to read each week for the next four weeks of school. If you sign up, you can also have lunch with your child on the day that you read. Lunch begins at 10:15am. Please sign up and we'll assign you on a first come, first serve basis. If you've already read, please allow other parents the opportunity to sign up for a slot. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4FA4AC2CA4FE3-53155784-mswrights.
3. Holidays around the World: If your family is NOT originally from the US and you would like to share your cultural background with Ms. Amy, please send her an email about your country of origin and about any cultural holidays you celebrate during December.
4. Class DoJo: Ms. Wright is active on Class Dojo so check it out to view points for your kiddos.
5. Snacks: We need snacks for the class. Please feel free to send healthy, low-sugar snacks such as raisins, dried apricot, pretzels, mandarin oranges, popcorn (lightly salted), and banana chips. 

Enjoy the week! The Peek of the Week and a picture of Ms. Amy teaching the kiddos using her birthday orchid are attached.

Best,

Elizabeth

Hi Poe parents (Ms. Wright):

Take a breather! This week will be a pretty calm one since there are no dress-up days or special events. I’ve attached the Peek of the Week below. We do have a PTO meeting on Thursday at 7:45am in the cafeteria. And, the class reading sign-up sheet will be sent soon.

Exciting news!

There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday. For those looking for something fun to do that day, you are all invited to Janelle’s birthday party this Friday at 4pm at Wonderwild (RSVP to me @ 919-357-8896). Invitation attached. Hope to see you there!

Enjoy the week!

Best,

Elizabeth

919-357-8896

Hi Poe parents (Ms. Wright):

Take a breather! This week will be a pretty calm one since there are no dress-up days or special events. I’ve attached the Peek of the Week below. We do have a PTO meeting on Thursday at 7:45am in the cafeteria. And, the class reading sign-up sheet will be sent soon.

Exciting news!

There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday. For those looking for something fun to do that day, you are all invited to Janelle’s birthday party this Friday at 4pm at Wonderwild (RSVP to me @ 919-357-8896). Invitation attached. Hope to see you there!

Enjoy the week!

Best,

Elizabeth

919-357-8896

Hello, Parents,

I have transferred all of you to the new Message Board for Ms. Wright's class. Your Room Parent Elizabeth should be able to continue sending you emails using this new message board. Below are all of the previous messages sent to Ms. Jackson's Message Board, for your reference. At the www.poepto.org website, your teacher should already say Ms. Wright. If you know of a family that is not getting the emails, they should log into the website and make sure they have the correct teacher listed. That should automatically put them on the message board. Please let me know if anyone has any issues moving forward. Have a great Kindergarten year with Ms. Wright! Thank you, all!

Regards,

Geneva Li

Poe PTO

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Hi parents:

it seems at least seven families were left off of the email notifying us of Ms. Gibson’s departure and Ms. Wright’s selection as the new teacher. I sent you that message from Mr. Alaniz a few minutes ago to catch everyone up.

Apparently, Ms. Wright ALSO sent the class an email on Thursday which many people didn’t receive. Please find it here. NOTE: I’ve requested that all parent emails/lists be verified so that we all receive future notices.

Elizabeth

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Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, 5 days ago
New Teacher Update! Ms. Amy Wright
Dear parents:

A few minutes ago, I JUST received an email informing me officially that Ms. Amy Wright will be the new permanent teacher for Ms. Jackson/Gibson’s class. Apparently, an email was sent out on Wednesday but I was inadvertently left off. I received this message after sending a request for an update today. I’m not sure if any parent received this. Please find the full email from Mr. Alaniz below.

Elizabeth

****

Good Afternoon,

I am pleased to announce that we have finalized the hire of Ms. Amy Wright to takeover Ms. Jackson’s class. Ms. Wright moves from her original role as a Teaching Assistant to Classroom Teacher – she has been co-teaching alongside Ms. Gibson since Monday this week, and the two will continue to work together through this Friday to ensure a smooth transition. Prior to her time at Poe, Ms. Wright has worked with students of all ages across several different endeavors and interests. I have personally witnessed her grace, patience, and attention to detail shine through in her interactions with our younger learners. In her short time with us so far this year, she has made a deep impression among her colleagues as someone who cares greatly about children and is dedicated to doing great things, which I cannot wait for her to demonstrate with your kids.

Ms. Wright will host a Meet the Teacher event next Wednesday, October 30th, from 3:15-3:45, in Room 33.

I want to thank Ms. Gibson for making magic happen with our students since the end of September and for helping get Ms. Wright going in her new role this week! Kudos as well to our Kindergarten team, led by Ms. Simpson, for ensuring that this homeroom had engaging and effective lesson plans and activities during this interim period.

Ms. Wright and Ms. Gibson are hard at work getting this class ready for Friday’s Hat Parade, and I am looking forward to seeing some creative designs soon!

Thank you each for your patience over the past month. Please let me know if you have any questions and have a great rest of this week.

Sincerely,

Jon Alaniz

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Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, 5 days ago
What a week!!!
Dear class:

It was great seeing folks at the picnic on Saturday! We have a slew of upcoming events so get ready!

I’ll list those events below but PLEASE know we need volunteers at the Carnival. Our class has two slots 11-12:30pm and 12:20-2pm still available. I’ll be travelling otherwise I’d fill those slots myself. Sign up here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, October 24th: It's the number 50 Day! Students will learn about the number 50, and may choose to dress up like the 1950's decade ..

Friday, October 25th, 7:45am: Come and watch the Hat parade. You must have your VIPS approval to participate and it takes 24hrs so do it soon!

Saturday: POE CARNIVAL - 10-2pm!!!

Thank you to those of you are signed up to bring snacks to our fall party on 10/31!!!

Class update: I’ve contacted Mr. Alaniz and have not received a response about final decisions about our new teacher. To be continued …

Thank you for reading!

Elizabeth

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Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, 7 days ago
Carnival: Your Class Booth - Volunteers Needed!
Hello!

Your class booth at Poe Carnival 2024 is the Double Slide Inflatable!

We need volunteers for the 9:30-11am shift, the 11-12:30am shift and the 12:30-2pm shift. Parent volunteers help take tickets, check wristbands and manage the lines. This is a popular booth for the younger children at our Carnival! Please sign up to volunteer. If the shift seems too long, ask a friend to split the time with you. We count on adult volunteers from each classroom to make this event a success.

Scroll down to find your class Sign up here.

All instructions will be at the booth the day-off.

Carnival is a VERY fun Poe event for the Poe community. Most of the action happens out on the playground, right where this booth will be. Come have fun with us!

Questions? Email carnival@poepto.org

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Poe PTO President, 10 days ago
October Events!
Hi Ms. Gibson/Jackson's class:

Happy Fall season! By now, you have received a number of emails about all the exciting events happening in October at Poe. We need your help to make these events successful, and my goal is to streamline all the information, so you can be sure not to miss anything. Please find below the major events and volunteer sign-up opportunities:

Sunday, October 20th, 4-6pm: Kindergarten Family Picnic at Poe playground. Bring a picnic dinner, meet other families, and Poe PTO will bring the dessert!

Thursday, October 24th: It's the number 50 Day! Students will learn about the number 50, and may choose to dress up like the 1950's decade ...

Friday, October 25th, 7:45am: Come and watch the Hat parade. (Please try to get their hats turned into the classroom by Monday, October 21st. Details are in the previous message below).

Saturday, October 26th: Poe Carnival (10-2pm). Please sign-up to volunteer for our class booth and, don't forget to buy a t-shirt. You may sign up to volunteer here (just scroll down to our class).

Thursday, October 31st: We will have a Halloween/Fall Class Party, 2-3pm! This will be a simple party with snacks, drinks, and a craft. If you would like to contribute snacks, drinks, or treats, please complete the sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4FA4AC2CA4FE3-52369625-msjacksongibson#/. You may drop your items off at the front desk that day (or a few days before Halloween). Students ARE allowed to dress up as their favorite book character on Halloween!

IMPORTANT Teacher Update: In addition to all of this, I've been in conversation with Mr. Alaniz and he informed me that the hiring freeze has been lifted! So, we may receive an update about the kids' permanent teacher by next week. Again, I'll keep you posted if I learn anything new.

Best,

Elizabeth

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Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, 15 days ago
Week of October 14th - Peek of the Week
Here is your Peek of the Week!

https://poepto.membershiptoolkit.com/file/9006ad304d26a055520e81e9be2fd26f

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Poe PTO President, 16 days ago
Kinder Hat Parade Details
Hello Everyone!
Every year, kindergarten has a hat parade at the end of October! It is an exciting event where your child decorates a hat at home however they would like. We will then have a parade to show it off to the entire school! I have attached a letter explaining it more and sent a paper copy home as well. The parade is October 25th at 7:45am. Parents are encouraged to come and watch the parade as well! This will take place inside the school and you will sign in at the front office then watch the parade in the cafeteria. After we complete one lap around the school, we will go out back at the playground to take some group pictures.

I also wanted to send you a picture of what my hat looked like a few years ago for the hat parade just so that you have an idea of what your child’s can look like. (this is my old last name) I added things that I like on it (the color yellow, palm trees, butterflies). I also put my name and grade on it. Make it as creative as you would like. This is tying in with our Who We Are IB unit at school. The students are encouraged to express themselves through their hat. Please try to get their hats turned into the classroom by Monday, October 21st. If you have any questions about the hats or the hat parade, please let me know! Looking forward to a super fun event! 🙂

https://poepto.membershiptoolkit.com/file/c07dd22c818edd1cf98893d984710268

https://poepto.membershiptoolkit.com/file/d3ca3f4073e0639278e822b918aa7750

Questions? Contact Kinder Team Leader Morgan Simpson

Morgan.Simpson@houstonisd.org

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Poe PTO President, 23 days ago
Have a great week!
Hi folks: Take a look at the Peek of the Week attached below.

https://poepto.membershiptoolkit.com/file/b68b46f82cf9b1be990d922d1de7c7ef

Reminder, Tuesday, Oct 8th is picture day!

Best,

Elizabeth

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Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, 24 days ago
PICTURE DAY - CORRECTION
Hi parents:

Please note that picture day will be TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH. My apologies!

Best,

Elizabeth

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Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman, 10/2/2024 8:57 pm
Welcome to the Parents' Page of (formerly) Ms. Jackson's class
Hi Kinder parents (Ms. Jackson/Gibson):

Thank you all for your patience as we've gone through a number of transitions this semester in Ms. Jackson's class. I'm sure we are all appreciative that Ms. Gibson has stepped in to assist during this time, and we are also eager to learn more about plans for the permanent teacher. As soon as I learn anything, I'll pass this on to you.

I am excited to have access to the Parent Message Board so that we can all stay connected. In fact, many of us are already connected via text message. So, in addition to this page, I'll be creating an Excel sheet with phone numbers for all parents and a group text for those interested. If you would like to be added, please send me your contact information at lizhf@me.com or send me a text message with your name and your child's name at 919-357-8896.

At this point, I wanted to send this initial message and be sure you are aware of a few events happening in October:

•Oct. 7 - Picture Day (No Uniforms)
•Oct. 11- PTO Meeting 7:45am
•Oct. 20 - Kinder Picnic 4-6pm
•Oct. 26 - Carnival 10-2pm
•Oct. 25th - Kindergarten Hat Parade
•Oct. 31st - Dress as your Favorite Book Character Day

Enjoy the long weekend, and we'll connect again soon!

Best,

Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman (Janelle's mom)
Room Parent, Ms. Jackson/Gibson
919-357-8896
Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman