Update on Zoning and Local Issues
Read about: Middle School | Overgrown Landscape |

Message Regarding Halloween Safety

Hi Crime Fighters - Halloween may be a fun time for kids, but for parents, trick-or-treat time can be a little tricky. Concerns about children's safety - whether they are out in the neighborhood or back home with bags of booty - can darken the day more quickly than a black cat! But not to worry. To make Halloween a treat for all, follow these safety tips.

Make Sure Your Kids Dress Up Safely -

1. Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.
2. Try make-up instead of a mask. It is more comfortable, cool, and most importantly will not obstruct your little goblin's vision - a dangerous thing when kids are crossing the street and climbing stairs.
3. Make sure kids wear light colored clothes or put reflective tape on their costume.
4. Check to make sure all costumes are flame retardant, so the little ones aren't in danger around jack-o-lanterns or other fire hazards.

Make Trick-or-Treating Trouble Free -

1. Make sure older kids trick-or-treat with friends. Together, map out a safe route, so you know where your kids will be. Tell them to stop only at familiar houses where the front lights are on.
2. Try to get your kids to trick-or-treat while it is still light outside. If they go after dark, make sure someone has a flashlight and they pick neighborhoods with well-lighted streets.
3. Little trick-or-treaters should go in groups, or should have an adult present, to make sure they aren't a tempting target for bigger goblins.

Treats

1. Caution your kids not to eat any treats until they get home. Let them eat a meal or snack before they go out, so they won't be more tempted to dive into those snacks.
2. Check out all treats at home in a well-lighted place.
3. Eat only unopened candies and other treats that are in their original wrappers. Inspect fruit and homemade treats very carefully, or do not allow the children to eat them at all.

Dressed Up and Dangerous?

Halloween blood and gore are harmless stuff for the most part. But sometimes dressing up as a superhero, a swash-buckling pirate, or an alien from outer space - coupled with the excitement of Halloween - brings out aggressive behavior. Even fake knives, guns, swords and other costume accessories can hurt people. If these items are a part of your child's costume, make them from cardboard or other flexible material. Better yet, challenge kids to create costumes that don't need "weapons" to be scary and fun.

Consider This!

Parents and kids can avoid trick-or-treating troubles entirely by organizing a Halloween costume party with treats, games, contests, music, scary stories and much more. Make your Halloween party "THE" place to be! Also, schools, civic groups, libraries and other groups often organize "haunted houses" and other Halloween festivities for families.

Stay safe and have fun!

Barbi J. Stapleton #770
Richardson Police Department
Crime Prevention Officer
972/744-4835 (Office)
972/744-5941 (Fax)
Email: barbi.stapleton@COR.gov

Stinson Feeds Middle School - Armstrong or Murphy?

UPDATED NOTICE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2002
7:00 p.m.
HAGGARD MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETORIUM
2401 WESTSIDE, PLANO

The committee has recommended that all students (grades 6-8) within the recommended Murphy Middle attendance zone (Boggess, Stinson and Miller) move to Murphy Middle upon opening of the new school (fall 2003).

All homeowners are invited to attend this public meeting to show your support for having our neighborhood attend the new Middle School.

Please keep in mind the final decision has not been approved.

Show your support by attending the meeting.

Previous Notice

The plan has been thought to be that our children in the Stinson elementary school will go to the new Murphy middle school. A PISD task force established a "Blue Ribbon Committee" to review the growth needs in PISD and to alleviate overcrowding of schools. Although the committee recommended Stinson be zoned to the new Murphy Middle School, there is a group of parents from Dooley Elementary that have formed an informal committee to get their school directed toward Murphy in place of Stinson.

So, it's important to communicate that as much of the community as possible needs to attend the Public Input Session (August date still undetermined) to support the Blue Ribbon decision since there will be a contingent that is opposed to it.

More info to follow.

The following map is on the PISD web site and it's fully interactive with descriptions. Stinson is in Zone 56 (school 34) and Dooley is in Zone 46 (school 12).