Latest News

• Mav’s Dad’s Day at Mockingbird
• Purchase a brick for the Mockingbird basketball court
• Order your Mockingbird Yearbook

See below for details…

Mavs’ Dads Day at Mockingbird

When: Jan. 27th
Time: Drop off, lunch and/or recess.

What is Mavs’ Dads Day?

Mavs’ Dads Day is about spending time on campus with your child. It is a special day for Dads/Grandfathers/Uncles or any strong male role model in your child’s life to be present on campus.*%

This is a day to have lunch with your child in the cafeteria.

Go to recess with your child’s class.

Help with drop off in the morning. If you live in walking distance, walk your child to school. If your child takes the bus, drive them to school.

Attend all, some or just one of the Mavs’ Dads Days. Attend what you can. If every Dad attended at least one of the Mavs’ Dads we would have close to 100 each day. If you can only spend a few minutes at lunch, that is always better than none. Even a few minutes makes a statement.

Attend all three (drop off, lunch and recess) or just one. Spend the time that you can. One is better than none.

Don’t forget if you want to attend recess you will need to fill out a Background Check. Lunch is a visitor’s pass. Nothing is required for drop off.

We hope to see you around campus on Friday!

Purchase a brick for the Mockingbird Basketball Court

I think we can all agree that one of the most unique and fun things about the Mockingbird campus is our amazing basketball courts! The only trouble is that the brick border isn’t completely finished and it needs some repairs.

Thankfully, Coppell Boy Scout Matt Branz has selected the Mockingbird courts for his Eagle Leadership Project and he needs our help.

Obviously the project won’t be free and it won’t be easy. There are 3 ways you can help Matt:

Buy an engraved brick for $50.00.
Now is your chance to thank your favorite teacher or make your kids’ names a permanent part of the school. Additional Bricks may be purchased for $25 each. Simply print out and complete the Brick Order Form and return it to school OR order on the Mockingbird PTO Webstore.

Make a donation
Print out the attached Sign-up/Donation Form and return it, along with your cash or check, to Mockingbird OR donate online at the Mockingbird PTO Webstore! Checks payable to Mockingbird PTO will be accepted in the office. Even a small amount will help.

Volunteer your time and talent.
Matt and his Troop will need volunteers to help set the bricks and repair the border. The Mav’s Dads will be scheduling a work day in January/February to clean and repair the concrete channels and reset the bricks. If you have experience with this or just want to join Troop 842 with helping hands, then print out and return the Sign-up/Donation Form to Mockingbird with your contact information.

With everyone’s support, we can make Matt’s project a success, and your family can “make your mark” with an engraved brick!

Thank you!

Order your Mockingbird Yearbook

If you want to order a personalized yearbook, your order must be in by Friday, January 27th. Yearbooks cost $25 (it costs extra if you want to personalize it with your child’s name). A limited number of yearbooks are printed and once they sell out, they are gone. Don’t miss out, pre-order your yearbook today on the Jostens web site.

And don’t let all those great pictures you have taken of your children and their classmates just sit on your camera. Submit them to the yearbook team for consideration to be in the yearbook. They must be in by February 10th. Email them to MKByearbook@aol.com.

When: Jan. 27th
Time: Drop off, lunch and/or recess.

What is Mavs’ Dads Day?

This is a day to have lunch with your child in the cafeteria.

Go to recess with your child’s class.

Help with drop off in the morning. If you live in walking distance, walk your child to school. If your child takes the bus, drive them to school.

Attend all, some or just one of the Mavs’ Dads Days. Attend what you can. If every Dad attended at least one of the Mavs’ Dads we would have close to 100 each day. If you can only spend a few minutes at lunch, that is always better than none. Even a few minutes makes a statement.

Attend all three (drop off, lunch and recess) or just one. Spend the time that you can. One is better than none.

Don’t forget if you want to attend recess you will need to fill out a Background Check. Lunch is a visitor’s pass. Nothing is required for drop off.

We hope to see you around campus on Friday!

I think we can all agree that one of the most unique and fun things about the Mockingbird campus is our amazing basketball courts! The only trouble is that the brick border isn’t completely finished and it needs some repairs.

Thankfully, Coppell Boy Scout Matt Branz has selected the Mockingbird courts for his Eagle Leadership Project and he needs our help.

Obviously the project won’t be free and it won’t be easy. There are 3 ways you can help Matt:

Buy an engraved brick for $50.00.
Now is your chance to thank your favorite teacher or make your kids’ names a permanent part of the school. Additional Bricks may be purchased for $25 each. Simply print out and complete the Brick Order Form and return it to school OR order on the Mockingbird PTO Webstore.

Make a donation
Print out the attached Sign-up/Donation Form and return it, along with your cash or check, to Mockingbird OR donate online at the Mockingbird PTO Webstore! Checks payable to Mockingbird PTO will be accepted in the office. Even a small amount will help.

Volunteer your time and talent.
Matt and his Troop will need volunteers to help set the bricks and repair the border. The Mav’s Dads will be scheduling a work day in January/February to clean and repair the concrete channels and reset the bricks. If you have experience with this or just want to join Troop 842 with helping hands, then print out and return the Sign-up/Donation Form to Mockingbird with your contact information.

With everyone’s support, we can make Matt’s project a success, and your family can “make your mark” with an engraved brick!

The deadline to purchase a brick has been extended to this Friday, January 27th.

Thank you!

We are looking for a few people to form our Spring Auction Committee. As many of you know, we hold a big auction every other year, which helps fund our budget for two years. This is our “off year,” but there are some favorite auction items that we want to be able to offer our kids and families.

Some of these traditions/favorites are:

• Teachers’ Gifts of Time
• Principal/Assistant Principal/Teacher for a Day
• Name the Loop
• Reserved Parking Spot
• Etc., Etc.
• And we can’t forget the much coveted Students vs. Teachers Basketball Game!!!

The committee can decide how to conduct this auction – Silent Auction, Online Auction or something new. It’s a blank slate and the great part is that there is no solicitation of local businesses!

We would like to hold the Auction by mid-April or so.

Please contact PTO President, Maureen Pranske for more information or to volunteer.

Thank you in advance for your help!

We are excited to announce that February 27 – March 2 are the dates for this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week. We are asking that each student donate at least $5.00. This will cover gifts for your teacher, the special’s teachers, and all office staff. We will also be able to provide them with many treats, lunches and gifts throughout the week.

By asking each child to donate $5.00 now, you will not be responsible for sending any additional items to school during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Mockingbird Teachers Take the Cake! is our theme for the week. We have many fun things planned … special afternoon treats, lunches and of course an off campus lunch on Friday. This is always a fun and rewarding week.

Thank you for helping us make this week so special for the entire staff!

Follow this link to donate online to teacher appreciation week. Please make your online donation by Friday, February 3.

Please make note that Mockingbird night at Cici’s is this Thursday, January 26th.
You may dine in or pick up a pizza to go!
Place your receipt in the box next to the cash register.

Thank you for your support!

Happy New Year!

It is our hope that you had a restful and rejuvenating holiday with family and friends! December was packed full of winter activities at Mockingbird Elementary. The book fair, Mockingbird Family Holiday, beautifully decorated hallways and classrooms, poetry, literature and math with a winter twist, programs, holiday parties, collecting items for those in need, Winter Wonderland, gifts created with love, and a read aloud on Pajama Day along with milk and homemade cookies provided by our parents, kept students and staff members excited about coming to school every day. We appreciate you making all of our winter events possible. There is no way we could have had such a memorable December without your incredible effort and support!

The New Year is an excellent opportunity for you to sit down with your child and talk about setting personal goals. You can help your child determine if he or she would like to improve in academic areas, get along better with their siblings, help more around the house, etc. Help your child measure improvement on his or her goal through a chart or a journal. You will be surprised at how hard children work when they are able to see their growth.

Please take a few moments to read the attached article, Improve Your Child’s Memory Skills.

Treasure this very special and short-lived time in your child’s life.

HAPPY 2012!

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family of Auburn University student, Libbie Ainsworth, on her tragic death. Libbie and her brother attended Mockingbird Elementary. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Mockingbird Elementary Night

CHS Varsity Basketball Game
Tuesday, January 10th
7:30 p.m. (earlier if there is a girls game!)

Students wearing a Mockingbird shirt get in the game free!

Dine at Fat Daddy’s all day on Tuesday, January 10th, drop your receipt in the box at the pick-up counter and a portion of sales goes back to Mockingbird. Hope to see you there!

Don’t forget to turn in your Box Tops for Education. Each one is worth 10 cents to Mockingbird. It may not seem like much, but when we submit all of the Box Tops collected, it really adds up!

Just place your Box Tops in a plastic baggie and send them to school with your child. This is an easy way to support Mockingbird!

The first SCRIP order date of 2012 is January 17th!

Remember just a little planning and a couple of days turn around are all that’s involved in participating in SCRIP. With no extra cost to you Mockingbird makes money. It doesn’t get any easier than this!

Complete the Scrip Order Form, turn your orders in by 3pm on the deadline date and send me a quick email to let me know they are coming to ensure they are received.

Please contact me with any questions.

Thanks!

Sara Hardy
214.543.5333

Spring Creek goes the extra mile with their fundraisers, so we’d like to give them a huge Mockingbird “THANK YOU” for hosting such a spectacular fall fundraiser!

We will have our next fundraiser with Spring Creek on April 12, 2012 from 5:00 – 9:00 PM! We look forward to another wonderful evening of food, family, friends, and fun! (But you don’t have to wait until April to enjoy Spring Creek – we want to support them all year long!)

Part of the fundraiser includes prizes for the class with the highest percentage of attendance. We actually had a tie during our fall fundraiser!!! As soon as the prizes arrive from Spring Creek, the winning classes will be announced!

Our school is offering an opportunity for Christmas that will directly benefit some of the families in our school and the Coppell community. For those of you who would like to contribute we will be collecting donations of toys and canned goods until December 16th.

The Lion’s Club will pick-up and be responsible for distributing. A collection box wrapped as a gift will be available in front of the Clinic. The Lion’s Club has been such a wonderful support for our students and their families. In the past they have provided glasses, hearing aids and much more through their fundraising.

Please send items before the collection date of December 15th. Thank you for helping our families have a joyful holiday!

Sarah Blalock
Mockingbird Counselor
sblalock@coppellisd.com

Spring Creek goes the extra mile with their fundraisers, so we’d like to give them a huge Mockingbird “THANK YOU” for hosting such a spectacular fall fundraiser!

It was a wonderful evening of food, family, and friends! Part of the fundraiser includes prizes for the class with the highest percentage of attendance. The winning class will be announced soon!

Spring Creek, thank you again for providing our school the chance to enjoy a great evening while raising funds!

Don’t forget to buy your yearbook by December 31st while it is only $22. After that, the price goes up to $25.

A limited number of yearbooks are printed and once they sell out, they are gone.

Don’t miss out, pre-order your yearbook today on the Jostens web site.

Don’t let all those great pictures you have taken of your children and their classmates just sit on your camera. Submit them to the yearbook team for consideration to be in the yearbook. They must be in by February 10th. Email them to MKByearbook@aol.com.

Just when you need it most! Forget about cooking dinner – it’s the holidays, you’re busy shopping, wrapping, baking, etc. etc.

Let Cici’s help!

Dine at Cici’s next Thursday to help raise money for Mockingbird. Just place your receipt in the box at the cash register. A portion of sales goes directly to Mockingbird.

Mockingbird Cici’s nights are the 4th Thursday of every month.

Hope to see you there!

We look forward to seeing you back on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012.

Happy Holidays!

(Don’t forget: early dismissal at 12:30 this Friday!)

Friday December 16th is Mockingbird Pajama Day!

Our principal, Pam Mitchell, will read to the children in the cafeteria while they munch on homemade cookies and milk provided by parent volunteers (contact your room parent if you would like to bring cookies or milk).

We need your help to serve milk and cookies to the children. Feel free to wear your pajamas or favorite holiday attire.

Please click the link below to volunteer.

Raise money for Mockingbird while you do your holiday shopping at no extra cost to you.

Plan your gifts, shopping and dining. Then purchase gift cards through SCRIP at face value. Each card purchased carries an associated “contribution” of 2-15% or more to our school. Cards are available to hundreds of national retailers.

Fill out the Scrip Order Form. Turn it in by 3pm TOMORROW – Tuesday, December 6. Gift cards will be delivered no later than Monday, December 12.

Contact Sara Hardy with any questions.

We are collecting NEW shoes and NEW socks for orphan children.
On December 9th we will be taking the shoes and socks we have collected to Buckner International where we will volunteer our time to help sort shoes that will be shipped to orphan children.

Our goal is 100 pairs of new shoes from first grade and a total of 470 pairs from the entire school. Please help us!!

Please bring shoes from November 28 to December 8 and place in container in the first grade hall.

Brittany Sumrall, daughter of 1st grade teacher Marie Sumrall, is a volunteer coordinator at the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid.

Most Classroom Holiday Parties will be held on Thursday, December 15th. If you have not already heard from your teacher or room parent about the details, you will very soon.

Happy Holidays!

We’ve said it was coming and now it is here! You can now purchase Mockingbird spirit wear on the webstore!

If you’ve missed our previous order deadlines and you are still looking to purchase spirit wear, visit our webstore and see what is available.

Check it out at the Mockingbird Webstore!

If your child wants to take part in duct taping Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Youngs to the wall on Friday, you can still send in money, even up until the taping begins!

For merely one dollar, your child may purchase one strip of duct tape to be used to secure our principals to the wall! The “taping” will be part of Friday morning’s assembly, which begins at 8:00 a.m.

Even if your child doesn’t seem terribly interested now, odds are that once the taping begins they will want to get in on the action! Don’t miss out!

Can you picture it now?!?

When: Tuesday, Nov. 29th
Time: 6-7 pm
Where: Mockingbird cafeteria

ALL DADS ARE WELCOME! PLEASE JOIN US!

New Tech Gives Back with Zumba!!

COME SHAKE IT UP for New Tech’s service project Alexandra’s Helping Hands!! There are still one more chance to burn some calories before the holidays!!

When: Wednesdays November 30, 2011, 6:00-7:00 PM
Where: NTH@C Gym
Who: Learners, facilitators, parents, siblings, anyone interested!
Cost: $7 at the door

Please support this event by participating and inviting your family and friends. No experience is necessary just come have fun! Check it out on Facebook!

For more information click Zumba For Alex.

When: Monday – Friday THIS WEEK!
Hours: 7:30a-3:30p Monday – Thursday
6:00p-7:30p Thursday during MKB Family Holiday
7:30a-12:00p Friday
Where: Mockingbird Elementary Library

Let us help you with your holiday shopping needs! Books make great gifts and we will be helping your child put together a “Wish List” with all their favorite things! Their wish lists will be coming home early this week.

THERE ARE STILL LOTS OF UNFILLED VOLUNTEER SHIFTS! WE NEED YOU!

Please click on your family’s name in the box below to volunteer. No previous experience needed! Book Fair is a Blast!

Date: Thursday, December 1st
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Bring the entire family out for fun filled Holiday evening!

Games in the gym
Refreshments in the cafeteria
Book Fair in the library
SCRIP will be available for your early gift needs
Contests, prizes, crafts and more!