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Ricardo ISD

Commitment Today Means Success Tomorrow

RISD Parent & Community Newsletter: September 6 - September 12, 2026

Posted Date: 09/06/26 (02:47 PM)
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RISD Parent & Community Newsletter

September 6 - September 12, 2026

September 6, 2026
A school district announcement poster states that Ricardo ISD will be closed on Monday, September 7 for Labor Day.
 

Events Happening This Week at Ricardo ISD:

Labor Day Holiday: RISD Closed
  • Date: Monday, September 7
RES Book Fair
  • Start Date: Tuesday, September 8
  • End Date: Friday, September 11
RISD Pep Rally
  • Date: Thursday, September 10
  • Location: RISD GYM
  • Time: 2:00 PM
RMS Volleyball vs. IWA
  • Date: Thursday, September 10
  • Location: IWA
  • Time: 5:00 PM
RMS Football vs. Riviera
  • Date: Thursday, September 10
  • Location: Riviera
  • Time: 5:00 PM
9/11 25th Anniversary Ceremony @ TAMUK
  • Date: Friday, September 11
  • Location: Javelina Stadium
  • Time: 9:00 AM
  • Participating Students: 6th-8th Grade
  • RMS Band Performance
RMS Volleyball @ A-Team Alice Tournament
  • Date: Saturday, September 12
  • Location: Alice 
  • Time: TBA
 
A colorful, western-themed poster announces a Scholastic Book Fair at Ricardo Elementary, featuring Texas imagery, a bee mascot, and event details.
A standard black and white QR code featuring a lightbulb logo with a green checkmark in the center.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR WEEK IS HERE!

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Ricardo Elementary this week, September 8–11!
Our Yellowjackets will have the opportunity to explore new books, discover new favorites, and build their love of reading. Every purchase also helps support our school!

WE NEED PARENT VOLUNTEERS!

Parents and family members who would like to help us make the Book Fair a success can sign up using the QR code in this post or the link below.

We appreciate our Ricardo families for always stepping up and supporting our students and schools. We hope to see you at the Book Fair!
Deep in the Heart of Ricardo — Where Pride Meets Excellence!

Read Today. Lead Tomorrow.
Book Fair Volunteer Sign Up Link
 

Yellowjacket Spotlight

A collage of nine photos shows students and their grandparents celebrating Grandparents' Day at a school.
A collage of photos shows students celebrating Grandparents Day at Ricardo ISD, holding themed signs.

Donuts with Grandparents Day

 
A collage of nine photos showing a youth girls' volleyball team in a school gymnasium, posing for photos, celebrating, and getting ready for a game in their blue and yellow uniforms.
A collage of nine photos showing volleyball players posing with family members on a school gym court.

RMS Volleyball vs. Falfurrias & 7th Grade Parents Night

 
A collage of nine photos showing a youth football team practicing on a sunny day.

RMS Football vs. Ben Bolt

 
A collage of eight photos shows youth runners in blue and yellow uniforms participating in a track and field cross-country meet.
Three young athletes wearing blue and gold uniforms and medals proudly pose on stadium bleachers.

RMS Cross Country @ San Diego Meet

 
A collage of students participating in school activities, including playing musical instruments outside and working in a science lab.
A collage shows children engaged in a fun science experiment, blowing bubbles through straws onto paper using colored water and red cups.

Learning in Action @ RMS

Great things are happening every day inside the classrooms at Ricardo Middle School!
This week, we caught our Yellowjackets Learning in Action in Mrs. Castillo’s 6th Grade Science class, Mrs. Figueroa’s 6th Grade Math class, Mr. Rios' 6th Grade Band Class and Mrs. Wright’s 8th Grade Science class.

From solving problems to exploring science concepts, our students are staying engaged, working together, and building their skills each day.

Learning is happening all around RMS — and we love catching our Yellowjackets in action!
 
A collage of students and adults enjoying a hands-on activity, mixing and playing with blue slime in a classroom.
A collage of students and teachers engaged in a fun, hands-on craft activity in a classroom, with flour on their hands.

Learning in Action @ RES

Our youngest Yellowjackets are learning through hands-on experiences at Ricardo Elementary School!

Students in Mrs. Claire Gonzalez’s Special Education class put their science skills to work with a fun, hands-on experiment. Our students had the opportunity to explore, observe, and learn by doing!

We love seeing curiosity come to life in our classrooms. Great learning is happening every day at RES!

Learning today. Growing tomorrow. Yellowjacket Pride!
 

Yellowjacket Sports Corner

Ricardo Yellow Jackets Junior High Volleyball Schedule with dates, opponents, locations, times, and formats.
Ricardo Yellowjackets Football schedule poster with team logo and player.
Ricardo Yellow Jackets 2026-2027 athletics information poster with sports app details.
Ricardo Yellowjackets Cross Country 2026 Schedule poster featuring runners and a mascot.
 

Library Corner

Dear Ricardo ISD Parents and Guardians,

Ricardo ISD would like to share information about Follett’s Additional User Type (AUT), a library feature available to parents and guardians that provides access to their student’s library information.

Through Follett AUT, you can:
  • Browse our library catalog and search for books by title, author, or subject.
  • View books your student currently has checked out.
  • Review your student’s checkout history.
  • Set restrictions on specific titles for your student.

To access your student’s information, you will use the same email address listed as the primary contact during student registration. Follett will send an access code to that email address to complete the sign-in process.

Step-by-step instructions for accessing your account are available on our website.

If you have trouble signing in or your email address is not recognized, please complete the Parent/Guardian Support Form available on the website. A Ricardo ISD staff member will contact you to assist with your account.

We encourage parents and guardians to take advantage of this tool to stay informed and involved in their student’s reading and library activity.

Sincerely,

Ricardo ISD
Technology Department

Follett Instructions Link
 

Counselor Corner

A school poster features a yellowjacket mascot and focuses on the character trait of responsibility for September.
 

Nurses' Corner

An "Important Food Reminder for Parents & Guardians" poster from Ricardo ISD Health Services.
 

Communities in Schools Corner

A colorful poster announces the expansion of a "Breakfast Club" program for Ricardo ISD, featuring a cartoon bee mascot.
Business card for Mrs. Jennifer Marie Taylor, CIS Student Support Specialist at Ricardo ISD, featuring contact information and school mascots.
 

Cafeteria Corner

A Ricardo ISD cafeteria menu for September 2026, laid out in a weekly calendar format from Monday to Friday.
 

Save the Children Corner

A flyer on lined paper with school supplies announces Ricardo ISD's partnership with Save the Children for GLP Programs.
 

RISD After School Program Corner

Information about Ricardo ISD's After School Program, including hours, pickup times, and monthly rates.
 

Safety Corner

Poster with bold text 'STOP (NO MÁS)' and 'HUMAN TRAFFICKING (TRATA DE PERSONAS)'.
Poster promoting safe gun storage with the slogan 'SAFE GUN STORAGE SAVES LIVES'.
A flyer titled 'Mental Health Training for School Personnel' features smiling school staff and program details.
A flyer titled 'Resources for Students and Caretakers' lists mental health support options with QR codes.
 

Parental Rights & Options Information

Infographic summarizing parental rights and options for Texas parents, covering school choices, curriculum, and instructional materials.
Parental Rights and Options LINK
Ricardo ISD is committed to keeping our families informed and involved in their child’s education.

Texas law recognizes parents as important partners with educators, administrators, and school boards in the education of their children. The Parental Rights and Options Information provided by the Texas Education Agency outlines many of the rights and choices available to Texas parents, including rights related to instructional materials, academics, attendance, health-related services, special programs, school options, and more.

We have included the graphic above as a quick overview of some of this important information. Because the graphic is only a summary, we encourage all Ricardo ISD parents and guardians to review the complete Parental Rights and Options Information document linked with this post.

Thank you to our Ricardo ISD families for staying informed, involved, and engaged in your child’s education.

Ricardo ISD — Yellowjacket Pride
 

Academic Calendar 2026-2027

2026-2027 Academic Calendar for Ricardo Independent School District, showing monthly views from July 2026 to June 2027.
 

District Information

Superintendent of Schools - Dr. Gina D. Garza
Director of Finance - Jenette Black
RMS Principal - Jesse Gonzalez
RES Principal - Karen Unterbrink
District Assistant Principal - Debra Carpentier
Dean of Instruction - Dr. Kelly Billington-Hill
Director of Operations - Joey Vasquez
Technology Coordinator - Lucas Villarreal

Vision: Empowering minds and developing individuals for life-long success in a diverse community.
Mission: Enhance individual growth through high expectations in a safe, nurturing, and challenging environment

The RICARDO Way

  • Respect
  • Integrity
  • Courage
  • Attitude
  • Responsibility
  • Determination
  • Only my best

I will show the RICARDO way each and every day.

Need to Report Bullying? Click here: BRIM Anonymous Bullying Reporting System

Phone: 361-592-6465
 

Local Community Corner

A presenter holds up a deer skull with antlers for a group of attentive students in a large room.

YELLOWJACKET SHOUT-OUT

A special thank you to Game Warden Royce Ilse and Mr. Andrew Butler for giving our Yellowjackets the opportunity to participate in a Hunter Education Course right here at Ricardo ISD!

The course gave students interested in hunting the chance to learn about hunter safety, responsible hunting practices, wildlife conservation, and proper game management. It was a great educational experience and, most importantly, emphasized the responsibility and safety that come with being a hunter.

The course was a great success, and another Hunter Education Course is already being planned for the future! Be on the lookout for more information and registration details coming soon.

Thank you, Game Warden Ilse and Mr. Butler, for investing your time in our Yellowjackets and bringing this opportunity to Ricardo ISD!