Reynaldo G. Garza Elementary

Unicorn Families,

We are excited to announce a new tradition this year to celebrate attendance, positive behavior, strong academics, and parent engagement!

✨ Each month, when a student is selected as our Unicorn of the Month, the student's parent or guardian will be invited to join him/her for a special lunch celebration. Lunch will take place in the library to create a cozy and intimate setting where families can enjoy their time together, including reading together as they eat. What a beautiful treat!

To qualify as a Unicorn of the Month, students should:

*Have great attendance for the month (ideally no absences)
*Have no tardies or early pick-ups
*Have no referrals or DDFs
*Demonstrate strong social-emotional skills
*Show strong academics or significant improvement through effort and hard work

Invitations will be provided for families once students are selected. For our August Unicorns of the Month, invitations (like the sample shown below) were sent home with your child today.

📅 Our first Unicorn of the Month Lunch will be on Friday, September 26th!

Thank you for partnering with us to make this recognition special for your children. We can't wait to celebrate together! 💜🦄

#Groundedintradition.
#Growingwithpurpose.
#Guidingeverylearnertowardexcellence.

🎨Get Ready to Connect the Dots! 🎨 This Monday is International Dot Day, a day to celebrate creativity, courage, and making your mark! 🖍️🖌️ Unicorns, show your spirit by wearing polka dots, spotted shirts, dotted socks, or even creative dot designs you make yourself. Big dots, little dots, colorful dots: let’s fill our school with them! Remember: One little dot can start something amazing… what will YOUR dot inspire? 💙🦄 #InternationalDotDay #MakeYourMark September calendar below for easy reference: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGxGXfUF9g/bSPOM7S-iHvDpF1l1nc07A/edit?utm_content=DAGxGXfUF9g&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Information on mental wellness and where to get support. Click on link or scan QR code on flyer: https://bit.ly/3xq4ozT
**Students with parents participating in the meeting will receive a sweet treat during lunch at the end of the month.

Good morning, Unicorn families!

We’ve noticed that many of our unicorns are arriving a little later than usual. Instruction begins promptly at 7:45 a.m., and students arriving after this time will be marked tardy. To help your child start the day smoothly, we encourage you to drop them off earlier. Lines tend to get longer after 7:35, so arriving before then makes for a quicker and easier drop-off.

For a smoother morning drop-off, please remember:

1. Say your goodbyes before entering the drop-off line.

2. Have your child’s backpack and belongings ready as you enter the circle drive.

3. If your child has extra items or you are dropping off more than two siblings, please pull all the way to the front before unloading.

Please read below for additional information regarding pick-up and drop-off procedures.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGvzFjlnn4/nymWKOlQq9SjF4SBSPBZ_A/edit?utm_content=DAGvzFjlnn4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Our sweet 5th grader, Alaina Parra, was honored at last night’s Nikki Rowe game in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 💛 We also invite you to join us for the McAllen Goes Gold Walk! 📅 Mark your calendars and walk with us as we spread awareness and show support for all children and families impacted by childhood cancer. Together, we are ALL IN for our kids. 💛

A huge THANK YOU to these amazing businesses for sponsoring our Garza Unicorns! 🦄The Spot Barbershop 🦄Texas Pro Lighting 🦄VL Operating LLC 🦄Cris Auto Services Your generous support will help us provide resources for our unicorns and teachers, and ensure our school events are a great success this year. 💙🩶🦄 We couldn’t do it without the strength of our incredible community. We thank you for believing in us! 💙🩶 Goooooo Unicorns! 🩶💙 If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please reach out to Mrs. Lupe Gonzalez, PTO Board Member at 956-223-7172 💜

No better feeling than seeing our unicorns enjoy recess with their classmates 💙🩶🦄

I sent the September calendar on August 25th, but since several posts have been shared afterward, I’m resending it here for your convenience.

Please take a moment to review our September calendar for important dates and information.

We kindly ask for your support in the following:

Appointments: Whenever possible, please schedule appointments after school hours and avoid early pickups. Midday interruptions affect not only your child’s instruction and assessments but also the flow of our daily campus operations. Also, students cannot be picked up after 2:30.

Transportation: For consistency and safety, we ask that students use one primary mode of transportation. If a last-minute change is absolutely necessary (as we understand emergencies do arise), please contact the office directly. Teachers are actively engaged in instruction and may not be able to check messages during the school day. We kindly ask that transportation changes remain the exception rather than the routine.

Thank you for helping us keep learning time and routines running smoothly for all of our Unicorns! 💜✨

I have also included the LINKS to the PARENT HANDBOOK and the MONTHLY MENU in the calendar for your convenience.



https://www.canva.com/design/DAGxGXfUF9g/bSPOM7S-iHvDpF1l1nc07A/edit?utm_content=DAGxGXfUF9g&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Our library read-alouds for September 2025 are here! 📖
Check out what students will be listening to in our library this month in our Once Upon a Unicorn newsletter.

Let the stories begin! 🌟🦄

We will see you back on Tuesday, September 2nd :)

Good afternoon Unicorn Families!

McAllen ISD is excited to provide you with easy access to your child's library information, including checked-out books, due dates, and reading history. This service allows you to stay informed about your child's library activities directly from home.

Please verify that your e-mail address is up-to-date on Skyward to gain access to Destiny (our library system). If you need to update your e-mail, log in to your Skyward Family Access account or contact the school office for assistance.

To get started, log in to the following URL https://destinyverification.follettsoftware.com/willow/district/destiny-ZVX8-9WPB
and type in your e-mail address to get an access code. Type in your access code and check "Keep me logged in on this device" and submit to stay logged in for 60 days.

For more in depth instructions, please refer to the attached document.

Thank you!

Good morning Unicorn Families!

McAllen ISD is excited to provide you with easy access to your child's library information, including checked-out books, due dates, and reading history. This service allows you to stay informed about your child's library activities directly from home.

Please verify that your e-mail address is up-to-date on Skyward to gain access to Destiny (our library system). If you need to update your e-mail, log in to your Skyward Family Access account or contact the school office for assistance.

To get started, log in to the following URL https://destinyverification.follettsoftware.com/willow/district/destiny-ZVX8-9WPB
and type in your e-mail address to get an access code. Type in your access code and check "Keep me logged in on this device" and submit to stay logged in for 60 days.

For more in depth instructions, please refer to the attached document.

Thank you!

Welcome to the Garza family! We’re so excited to have Ms. Lopez (PK) and Ms. Fraga (2nd grade) join our unicorn team! 🩶💙🦄 Be sure to give them a big Garza welcome when you see them around campus! Gooooo unicorns! 💜

Unicorn Families, Yesterday, McAllen ISD sent a notification regarding Senate Bill 12, which requires parent/guardian permission for Health Services. Please help us provide the best care for your child by logging into Skyward and completing the SB12 permission form. For your convenience, we’ve attached images with step-by-step instructions on how to access your Skyward account and locate the form. If you are unable to access your account after selecting “Forgot Username or Password”, please call our office so we can confirm the information we have on file. 💙 Thank you for your continued support! ⸻ Ayer, McAllen ISD envió una notificación sobre la Ley del Senado 12, la cual requiere el permiso de los padres/tutores para los Servicios de Salud. Por favor, ayúdenos a brindar la mejor atención a su hijo(a) iniciando sesión en Skyward y completando el formulario de permiso SB12. Para su conveniencia, hemos adjuntado imágenes con instrucciones paso a paso sobre cómo acceder a su cuenta de Skyward y localizar el formulario. Si no puede acceder a su cuenta después de seleccionar “¿Olvidó su nombre de usuario o contraseña?”, por favor llame a nuestra oficina para confirmar la información que tenemos en nuestros registros. 💙 ¡Gracias por su apoyo continuo!

Good afternoon Parents!

This year I will be uploading monthly newsletters with counseling information.
Here is Counselor's Corner Newsletter August 2025.

Helpful Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g15c8dGXHD8

We can’t wait to welcome our unicorns on their first day of the 25-26 school year! 🦄✨ Our doors open at 7:15 a.m., and students will head to the cafeteria upon arrival. At 7:35 a.m., students will be guided to their classrooms to enjoy breakfast. Instruction begins promptly at 7:45 a.m. Let’s make this another amazing year! Goooo Unicorns! 🎉📚

Our staff spent the day collaborating in district grade-level professional development . Every plan, idea, and activity is crafted with one goal in mind—helping our students shine from day one! ✨❤️🦄

Congrats to our amazing cafeteria staff! Today, they were recognized for earning an A+ on their quality audit! Thank you for always going above and beyond to serve our unicorns with care, dedication, and smiles. We appreciate you! 💜💙🩶🦄