Welcome to Emiliano Zapata Elementary Homepage. Welcome back! I hope you all had a fine vacation and are looking forward with enthusiasm to the new school year. We will start our new school year with uniforms. The uniform will consist of a red polo style shirt. Parents can purchase their red polo shirts at any local department store. We suggest that parents purchase their shirts before the school year begins to avoid being out of compliance with school policy. Also, state law now mandates that every child of school age be immunized against both hepatitis A and B. Any child who has not begun the immunization process by the first day of school will be considered out of compliance. Check with your family doctor for other immunizations requirements for your children. During the regular school year, please schedule doctor's and dentist's appointments after 3:15 p.m. We want to provide your children with the best education possible and this can only happen if they are in school. Another new and exciting change happening this upcoming year is Dual Language. Dual Language is the most successful program for bilingual learners according to the research conducted by bilingual education experts. Dual Language will be implemented this year in grades Pre-kindergarten, Kindergarten and First grade. This program uses a content-based approach to develop both languages orally and academically. We expect great things from PK-1 grade this year with Dual Language. Attendance can improve the student’s performance, and help them succeed academically. Excuses for absences are required by law and must accompany the student when he/she returns to school. We ask for your continued support in this endeavor. We will be having our Meet the Teacher Night on August 20, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please join us for this event. Registration for Pre-Kinder student that will be attending Zapata Elementary will take place on August 10 thru 13 at old Nellie Schunior Middle School Gymnasium located at 200 W. Expressway 83 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please take all required documentation in order to faciliate this process. Breakfast is serviced in the cafeteria from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Students are expected to be in their classroom by 7:30 for morning announcements. Our instructional day begins promptly at 7:45 a.m and will end at 3:15 p.m. Students will not be allowed to leave campus after 2:00 p.m. Appointments should be scheduled after 3:15 p.m. I am looking forward to a very successful year.