January 9, 2026

Happy New Year! Seeing the smiles on our students' faces really brightened our hallways this week. We're glad to have everyone back! Thank you for choosing Forest North and for sharing your children with us.

This week, we begin the second semester and the second half of the school year. It's flying by! We look forward to spring each year because it is full of tremendous student growth and tons of fun. Hopefully you can join us for upcoming field trips, family events and Field Day! It will be a busy spring!

Report cards for the second quarter were sent home and made available in the Home Access Center (HAC) this week. Next week, we begin mid-year screener assessments for all students. These quick checks measure each student's growth toward learning goals in reading and math and inform our instructional planning for spring. Reach out to your child's homeroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns about his/her progress.

3rd - 5th grade parents: We hope you can join us next Thursday evening for our Advanced Math Pathways and STAAR Info Night. Mrs. Collins, the Pearson Ranch Middle School principal, will be here to talk through the important course decisions that are made for incoming 6th graders. We will also preview the upcoming spring STAAR tests and answer any questions you may have about that. Lots of great info! See you then!

Jan 15: Math Pathways & STAAR Info Night (3rd-5th), 5:30pm

Jan 19: No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan 30: 100th Day of School

Feb 6: Global School Play Day

Feb 9-13: Kindness Week

Feb 10: Literacy Night (PK-2nd)

Feb 13: Valentine's Day parties

Feb 16 & 17: No School, Student and Staff Holiday/PD

Provide Consent for Student Participation in the District Climate Survey

On December 1st, Round Rock ISD emailed the primary parent/guardian on file a survey link to give consent for each student in their household to participate in portions of the district student climate survey. The subject line of the email is “Action Required: Parent/Guardian Consent for [Their Student Name]'s Participation in Portions of District Student Climate Survey".

If you do not receive an email with a link to the survey, please check the email spam folder. The annual district student climate surveys are designed to measure campus climate as perceived by students. Survey results provide insight into campus improvement plans for the upcoming school year.

Some questions on the survey are designed to measure student perceptions of Self-Efficacy, Sense of Belonging, Social and Emotional Learning, Skilled Professions (for secondary students only), and School Safety. With the passage of Senate Bill 12, students must be opted-in for them to answer questions related to the above-mentioned domains. While providing consent, parents/guardians have access to review these questions through the link below.

3rd-5th Grades: 2025-2026 Elementary Student Climate Survey Questions for review purpose

6th-8th Grades: 2025-2026 Middle School Student Climate Survey Questions for review purpose

9th-12th Grades: 2025-2026 High School Student Climate Survey Questions for review purpose

Starting January 8, 2026, families can complete returning student forms for the 2026–27 school year. You’ll receive an email with your student’s Snapcode. Follow the instructions to quickly and securely complete the forms. If you don’t see your Snapcode, check your spam/junk folder or contact our enrollment team for help. CLICK HERE if you have questions about student enrollment.

Connect with our Second Step SEL Curriculum

Rock ISD utilizes the Second Step program as a Social-Emotional Learning curriculum. The lessons help children learn human skills such as responsible decision-making, working together to solve problems, managing strong emotions, and getting along with others. These skills can help children succeed academically and socially. Unit 3 Lessons began this week! For each grade, there is a Home Link flyer with more information about the lesson themes and things to try at home to support this important learning.

Click the links here to access Unit 3 Home Links for your child's grade.

Kinder 3rd grade

1st grade 4th grade

2nd grade 5th grade

CONTESTANT REQUIREMENTS:
Open to K-12 students
Entries from those under 18 must be accompanied by parent/guardian permission
Only ONE submission permitted per student/team
Students are welcome to enter as artist-writer teams, but all creators must be credited on the submission

SUBMISSION CONTENT
Must be school-appropriate
May reflect any genre or style (e.g. manga, superheroes, alt/indie comics, etc.)
Digital or traditional print creations permitted
Digital art must be freehand and include the name of the program used
Must be original (work and idea and not have been reproduced from a previously published comic, photograph, piece of art, or
copyright-protected work, including the students’ own work posted on social media; work is not AI-generated)

SUBMISSION FORMAT
Single-page character depiction OR single-page story depiction
Entries must be submitted digitally; file size no larger than 10 MB
Include the following in the filename: student name(s); school name; grade level
Do not place the artist(s) names--full or partial--on the visible part of the artwork
Submit your work here: http://bit.ly/3LERmaG. Deadline: January 16, 2026

AGE GROUP AND FORMAT CATEGORIES
Grades K-2 Digital and K-2 Traditional
Grades 3-5 Digital and 3-5 Traditional
Grades 6-8 Digital and 6-8 Traditional
Grades 9-12 Digital and 9-12 Traditional

All entries are judged on execution, creativity, and originality. AI-generated art is not permitted for any age group or category.

Judges' decisions are final. Prizes will be awarded at the con before the Cosplay Contest.

FNE Counselors Website

Email: amy_jacobs@roundrockisd.org
Website: https://forestnorth.roundrockisd.org/
Location: 13414 Broadmeade Avenue, Austin, TX
Phone: 512-464-6750