Originally delivered on 1/14/2024 7:55 am

SUBJECT: DeBakey PTO Newsletter - January 14, 2024

DeBakey PTO

DeBakey PTO Newsletter

January 14, 2024


In This Issue
  • Important Upcoming Dates
  • Sign up to continue to receive newsletter
  • School News
    • Principal Herrera's Update
    • Pick Up & Drop Off Reminders
    • Graduation Ceremony Info
    • DeBakey 2024 Giving
    • Enchanted Lights dance
    • Senior Ice Cream Party
    • PEA + Running Club Information
    • Athletic Interest Form
    • Classes of 2024, 2025 & 2026 Dues Reminder
    • Senior Signing Day Wish List
    • PTO Uniform Store Updates
    • Need Field Day Chair & Committee
    • Order Yearbooks
    • Community Support for DeBakey Needed
    • PTO meeting calendar
    • Birthday & Celebratory Greetings - Fundraising
    • Donate Coffee/Tea to Support Teachers
    • Ongoing Food Bank Volunteer Opportunity
    • Need for Scientific Symposium Speakers
    • Travel Abroad Opportunities Info 
    • New WhatsApp chat for Class of 2025 Parents
    • New HISD 2023-2024 Calendar
  • Odds and Ends
    • VIPS application
    • Reminder: Student Volunteer Requirements
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES


  • Jan 8 - school back in session
  • Jan 9, 6:30-8 pm - PTO meeting, virtual
  • Jan 24, A lunch - Senior Ice Cream Party (for seniors who have paid dues)
  • Jan 26, 7-11 pm "Enchanted Lights"
  • Feb 1, lunch - Next Uniform Pick Up
  • Feb 13, 6:30-8 pm - PTO meeting, in person
  • Feb 23 - save the date - Scientific Symposium
  • June 7, 7 pm - graduation




Newsletter Sponsor AP Tutors
Thank you to our newsletter sponsor, AP Tutors!
What are you waiting for?

Don't miss out on this weekly publication! Please take two minutes to sign up via Membership Toolkit so you get this awesome and informative newsletter directly to your inbox each week. 


Update your membership info here

Note from the Editor

You'll want to make sure you click "download external images" for our newsletters or you will miss some of the "images" which are important flyers. Thanks!

Principal Herrera's Update

Happy New Year DeBakey students and families.


We are happy to welcome everyone back for a strong second half of the year.


The Spring semester is busy time for all students, we encourage parents to have frequent conversations with their students to monitor progress.


Teacher and parent collaborations lead to strong academic achievement for our students.

no parking sign pic
Friendly Pick Up & Drop Off Reminders

We all have some place we are trying to get to in the mornings - let's be patient and follow the signage and traffic pattern to ensure a safe and orderly drop off and pick up for our students. 

Reminders:

No parking along Pressler.

No letting students out of the vehicle on Pressler.

No left turns into the DeBakey parking lot when approaching northbound on Pressler.

Follow directions from our HISD Officer Colunga - he is here to keep us all safe!

Graduation 6/7/24 7 pm
donor names on DeBakey wall
Donate to DeBakey in 2024

Your donations are tax-deductible and will optimize the success of your child as well as the entire student body and teachers.

  • Purchase a Benefactor Wall Plaque -Honor your family, student, or business and become part of Debakey's legacy with a $500 donation. (Photo of wall plaques above)
  • Make a General Donation of $25 or more.
  • Double the impact through Company Matching.

Click here to donate now!

Jan 26 Enchanted Lights school dance
Jan 24 Sr Ice Cream Party
PEA + Running Club info
Interested in Athletics?

Sign up using the below link to indicate interest in one of the following sports:

  • Basketball
  • Gymnastics
  • Running Club
  • Soccer
  • Volleyball


Athletic Interest Form here!

Classes of 2025 and 2026 Senior Dues

Hey Classes of 2025 and 2026! 

Now is your chance to get ahead and start paying your senior class dues for next year. By paying ahead of time, you will help the parent volunteers who plan our senior events. The more money they have collected early on, the easier it is to figure out the budget and plan some cool events!

Class of 2025 and 2026 Dues can be paid via Schoolpay.com 

Senior Signing Day Wish List

Please use this Amazon wish list to support our Senior Signing Day!


Amazon wish list linked here

Uniform Store next pick up Feb 1
Click here to visit the PTO Uniform Store!
We need a Field Day Chair & Committee!

PTO is looking for a volunteer to lead this fun event and committee members to help support! The event takes place the day before Spring Break.

The DeBakey Field Day is wonderful highlight for the DeBakey Students in the spring.  Typically, the festival includes a carnival like atmosphere with lots of games, rides, food trucks, ice cream, and cupcakes.  You would be responsible to work with the administration to ensure all activities have been ordered, the food trucks have been requested, and that we have enough water, ice cream, and cupcakes/snacks for all the students.  This may require requesting donations.  This position does not require a lot of time throughout the year but is incredibly involved from approximately January until the event occurs just before Spring Break.

Interested? Contact- president@debakeypto.org

Order 2023-2024 Yearbooks Now!

HELP US RECRUIT COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR DEBAKEY

Are you a business owner or do you know a community member who'd like to help our school? 

The DeBakey High School PTO works to raise funds through the generous contribution of parents and local businesses. These funds are used in the school to make a significant impact in the lives of students, families and staff by providing enrichment activities that bring learning to life and improving relationships through community events. 

We are currently looking for community members who would like to join our PTO as a corporate sponsor for the 2023-24 school year. By becoming a sponsor, you will directly impact more than 900 students as well as staff and families in your community. As a PTO, our funds enhance the following resources and programs: 

Enrichment Programs 🐾 Art Department 🐾 Music Department 🐾 Theater🐾 Educator Classroom Support 🐾 Staff Appreciation 🐾 Technology 🐾 Sports 🐾 Student Events 🐾 Student Supplies 🐾 Clubs 🐾 and more 

We offer multiple tiers of sponsorship opportunities to fit your needs and budget. All sponsorship levels include visible recognition to our students, staff, and families. If you are interested in supporting our PTO, but cannot commit to a sponsorship we are grateful to accept any level of donations. 

Sponsor Directory Listing -  $200                       https://www.debakeypto.org/packet/40459998

  • DeBakey Sponsors are featured in the DeBakey PTO website under “Sponsor Directory” page.

 

Annual Newsletter or Website Sponsor - $1000https://www.debakeypto.org/packet/40460160

Website Sponsor

  • DeBakey PTO Website Presented by (your company/business name or logo)” on top of PTO website.
  • Website sponsorship is to last the entire school year. Starts as soon as sign up and ends on the last day of school.
  • Announcement of your company/business sponsorship throughout the school year on DeBakey PTO Facebook.
  • Acknowledgment at our monthly PTO Meeting
  • Included in sponsor directory

Newsletter Sponsor

  • “DeBakey PTO Newsletter Presented by (your company/business name or logo)” on top of PTO Newsletter.
  • Newsletter sponsorship is to last the entire school year. Starts as soon as sign up and ends on the last issue for the school year.
  • Newsletter goes out once a week to 200+ families.
  • Announcement of your company/business sponsorship throughout the school year on DeBakey PTO Facebook.
  • Acknowledgement at our monthly PTO meeting.
  • Included in sponsor directory

 

Benefactor Wall Plaque - $500                                              https://www.debakeypto.org/packet/40460309

The Benefactor Wall prominently displays the donors’ names in the shape of a DNA helix in the central area of the student atrium/cafeteria. The DNA structure reflects the school’s STEM focus.

General Donation of Any Amount                     https://www.debakeypto.org/packet/40459919       

Any support you can provide would be meaningful as a community partner supporting excellence in education for DeBakey students.

Support DeBakey while you shop!

Enroll in the Randalls and/or Kroger loyalty programs and select DeBakey as your organization to receive contributions based on your shopping. 

Log in to your loyalty account and select "community rewards" - search for the DeBakey PTO or enter our code VX994. 

An easy way to support our school while you buy your groceries! 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for PTO meetings
PTO MEETINGS 2023-2024

Join us to learn more about what the PTO is doing to help our school and get involved! All meetings will be 6:30 pm - 8 pm.

  • Feb 13 in person
  • March 19 virtual
  • April 9 virtual
  • May 14 in person, vote on new PTO board

More information will be shared as we get closer to each date.


birthday message on screen
Purchase Birthday & Celebratory Greetings to Support our School

Parents, the DeBakey PTO is offering Birthday & Celebratory Greetings.   These are messages that will be displayed on the monitors around the school. You can send your child a birthday message or tell your child congratulations for a major accomplishment.  The Birthday & Celebratory Greetings are only $20.

  • The messages are posted the week of the event only, they are sent in the Friday before the event date.
  • The messages MUST be received by the PTO two weeks prior to the event via the following link on the PTO website in the Fundraising section https://www.debakeypto.org/packet/38437847
  • You may select a background for the message on the google form.
  • Belated birthdays & ½ birthdays are acceptable.
  • All messages must meet the approval of the administration.
  • The message will be removed if the student asks the administration to remove the message.

Email fundraising@debakeypto.org with any questions.

Show our DeBakey Teachers some Love!

Drop off at reception or ship donations of coffee, tea, hot cocoa or Keurig pods to the school for the PTO to distribute in our teacher lounges. 

Back to school season is always stressful - let's make sure our teachers feel our appreciation every single day!

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunity

Support our community by volunteering at Houston Food Bank events right on our campus. Multiple dates are available via the Sign Up Genius link below. Volunteers will be stationed outside in the DeBakey parking lot, so dress for the weather.

There is a particular need for bilingual volunteers.


Volunteer Sign Up Here

Recruiting Speakers for our Feb 23 Science Symposium

Parents, guardians, community, alumni- if you or someone you know might like to present about their interesting career to our students, please contact us for more information. This is an event for our students. We welcome engaging speakers preferably STEM, medical, finance, motivational and passionate persons willing to share. 
President@debakeypto.org

Travel Abroad with DeBakey - lots of interesting opportunities below for 2024 & 2025
2025 Greek trip interest meetnig
Link to Paris & the Chateaux Spring 2024 Trip Info
Link to Switzerland, Italy, France & Spain in 2024 Info
Link to Japan 2025 Trip Info
New 2023-2024 HISD Calendar

Don't miss checking the new (as of last week) 2023-2024 HISD Academic Calendar - there are several changes to note which effect days the students have school/do not have school this year. Changes in summary:

  • Friday, October 13 is now a professional development day (no school for students)
  • The professional development day previously scheduled for Nov 7 is now rescheduled to Friday, November 10th.
  • HISD winter break will now start on Friday, December 22nd and end on Monday, January 8th rather than prior calendar which ended the break on Tuesday, January 9th.
  • We will have school on Tuesday, February 20th (previously this was a professional development day for teachers).

Calendar is linked below.

2023-2024 HISD Calendar

Class of 2025 Parents Want to Stay in Touch?

There's a new way for the Class of 2025 Parents to communicate with each other and find out what is going on with all things DeBakey! Join the Class of 2025 Parent WhatsApp chat group using the below link.

WhatsApp Class of 2025 Chat

Time to Renew Your VIPS application!

Parents and Guardians, it's that time of year! Even if you have been VIPS approved in the past, you must renew your application and be approved each year. You must be VIPS approved to volunteer in any capacity at any HISD school. Please apply now so you are ready when the volunteer opportunity arises!

Register for VIPS approval here!

Reminder: Student Volunteer Requirements

REMINDER:  Every DeBakey student must have at least 100 community service to graduate with a DeBakey diploma.

Remember, colleges look at the community service and how you give back to your community when choosing a candidate to accept into their school. The summer time is a great chance to get caught up and to give back to the community.

Guidelines for Community Service Hours >>

Volunteer Opportunities in Houston >>

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -