Updates from the Principal

Dear families and community members,

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend- having an extra day to rest and spend with family and friends is priceless! After spending precious time with my own family, I am ready to jump into another week and see the bright and eager faces of our students. This week we have several events happening-  our second Campus Beautification Clean Up Thursday morning, Open House on Thursday evening, and the PTA Ice Cream Social on Friday evening (See This Weeks News for more information). I hope you will be able to join us.

CELEBRATIONS

Chess Club’s off to a great start! Over 30 new kindergarten and first grade students have joined the Chess Club for the 2018-2019 school year! This past Friday morning, I had the privilege of welcoming all chess club students to another year and must admit I was impressed by the number of students, parents and parent volunteers who are committed to making this club a success!

IB PYP 101

(This portion of Ms. Page’s newsletter is contributed by Mrs. Vance, our PYP Coordinator.)

Last Thursday, our library had a packed house as our families and community came to learn more about the PYP (Primary Years Programme) at Spicewood Elementary. We’re so excited to see our committed families come out to learn more about ways they can take action as parents and support our inquiring students! Our IB Coordinator, Jessica Vance, shared about more the history of the program, its unique approach to teaching and learning in the classroom, and provided some tangible ways that parents could implement and support the PYP program at home.

We look forward to seeing our families this week at Open House where our teachers will be sharing more about the PYP program and how it looks in each grade level classroom. If you missed the event be sure to check out the resources and upcoming IB parent information night below!

• What is An IB Education Anyways? presentation
• Frequently Asked Questions about the PYP program at Spicewood
• Learner Profile printable (a simple resource to put up at home and begin to incorporate the PYP at home)

 

 

THIS WEEKS NEWS

Dismissal Process
During dismissal, students are seated by grade level under the portico. Students in kindergarten through second grade are seated under the the left wing of the portico. Students in third – fifth grade are seated under the right wing of the portico. As before, parents are asked to wait outside of the roped off area. Please know the roped off area is a no waiting/standing zone. However, once your child’s class exits the building and is seated in their assigned area, you may enter the roped off area through the designated entrance. (Please do not enter the roped off area to meet your child’s class as they are walking out.) Waiting for students to be seated will give teachers the time to make sure all students are accounted for before they begin to leave with parents. Once you have checked in with your child’s teacher and have picked them up, you may immediately leave the area through the designated exit. Enter and Exit signs will be visible to help direct the traffic flow. This week, staff members will be outside again to help direct and answer any questions you may have during the dismissal process.

Also, to help expedite the dismissal process please consider the following:

• Parents are encouraged to drive through the queue at the front of the school to pick up students. Upon your arrival, your child’s name will be called and he/she will be escorted to your vehicle. This will alleviate a considerable amount of congestion and confusion in front of the school.
• It will also be helpful if you have your child’s name and grade displayed on your windshield.
• If you are planning to walk to the pick up area, please be patient as my staff members direct you. They are sincerely trying to help and their goal is the same as yours- to get you to your child as quickly and safely as possible.
• Please do not park and/or leave your vehicle in the queue.
• Please do not park in ‘No Parking’ zones.
• Please cross at designated crosswalks only.

 

Join PTA (Parent Teacher Association)!
Your voice benefits your kids and your school! Joining doesn’t mean you have to volunteer or attend meetings, it is a simple way to stay connected and help support many of the fun and educational programs and activities at Spicewood. Please visit our new website www.spicewoodpta.com to join and learn more!

Beautification Morning Clean Up
We certainly appreciate Mrs. Bradford’s and our PTA’s commitment to making Spicewood beautiful – the Welcome to Spicewood Banner and campus Beautification Day held this past August created a welcoming sight on the first day of school! Please plan to join us Thursday morning in front of the school at 8am to spruce up the outdoor entryways (weather permitting). We will be trimming shrubs, mulching beds, sweeping sidewalks, and picking up debris. If you have any questions, contact Larissa Bradford at larissabradford@austin.rr.com.

Adventure Dash
Adventure Dash is back at Spicewood! Adventure Dash is a fun-filled week in which students participate in daily fitness lessons during their PE times and take part in the obstacle course fun run on Friday, September 7th – also known as Dash Day! Parents are encouraged to attend Dash Day to cheer on kiddos! Students and their families are raising money to support PTA’s many programs and events, like Field Trips, STEAM Day, Literacy Library, Class Parties, Math Pentathlon, the Teaching Garden and much, much more. Thank you for your support!

Chess Club
New and returning students are invited to join Chess club this Friday in the library. Our meeting starts at 6:35am where we learn not only how to play chess, but also learn strategies and tactics to help improve your game. Twice a year we open a Chess Store where students can buy items such as toys, games, puzzles, Pokemon cards, etc. using Chess Bucks they collect at club meetings and chess tournaments they attend. Registration will be open until September 14th. Parents interested in learning more about our Chess Club can visit our website at spicewoodchess.org

Spicewood PTA Ice Cream Social
Have questions about PTA? Want to know what we do and how we help at Spicewood? Find out the scoop at our free Ice Cream Social after school on Friday, September 7th from 3:00-3:45. Please RSVP via our Facebook event page so that we have plenty of ice cream for everyone!

School Directory
Don’t Miss Out – you must be a Spicewood PTA member to get access to our new ONLINE school directory! Purchase your Spicewood PTA membership on our website today – SpicewoodPTA.com The Online Directory will be live for Open House on September 6th!

Volunteer & Homeroom Parent Training
Our Volunteer & Homeroom Parent Training will take place on Thursday, September 13th at 6pm and Friday, September 14th at 11am in the library. Plan on attending one of these sessions if you are interested in volunteering this year. Additional information on volunteering at Spicewood can be found on our PTA website. If you have any questions, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Anne McWilliams at SpicewoodPTAVolunteer@gmail.com. Also, please note that RRISD requires all volunteers to fill out their Volunteer Application before they start volunteering with Spicewood.

Spirit Wear
Thank you to everyone who has purchased a Spicewood t-shirt. Some quantities are running low, but we will be placing one final order in September. Place your order on our website now to make sure you get this year’s shirt!

Math Pentathlon Club
We are actively looking for volunteers and coaches for all divisions for the 2018- 2019 academic year. If you want to learn more, please see the Math Pentathlon Website. Click here to sign up for a coach/volunteer position. Student sign up will begin on September 7, 2018 at 12 pm.

Scholastic Ocean Adventures Book Fair – Volunteers Needed
Dive into a great book at this year’s Ocean Adventures Scholastic Book Fair. This underwater awesomeness will begin on Monday, September 24, through Friday, September 28 from 7:30am – 4:00pm. It takes many volunteers to make the Book Fair a success and we need your help! Please visit the online Sign Up Genius (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4aa8a72dabff2-scholastic1) to sign up for a short 2 hour shift. Thank you and we can’t wait to see you at the Book Fair.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, September 4 –  Friday, September 7
Adventure Dash Run Fundraiser

Thursday, September 6
8:00AM    Beautification Morning Clean Up

Thursday, September 6
Spicewood Open House
5:00-5:30PM   Kinder & 1st Grade
5:30-6:00PM   2nd & 3rd Grade
6:00-6:30PM   4th & 5th Grade
5:00-6:00PM   Specials, Spanish (In the Library)
5:00-6:00PM   Be sure to stop by the Inquiry Lab and see what we’ve done with our Innovative School Grant!

Friday, September 7
3:00PM-3:45PM  PTA Membership Social

Thursday, September 13
6:00PM-8:00PM     Volunteer & Homeroom Parent Training in the Library

Friday, September 14
11:00AM-1:00PM   Volunteer & Homeroom Parent Training Training in the library

Tuesday, September 18
5:00PM-8:00PM  Spirit Night @ Mama Fu’s

Wednesday, September 19
7:00AM-7:40AM  Breakfast with Dads
(All dads and father figures are invited to join us for Breakfast with Dads in the cafeteria!)

Monday, September 24 – Friday, September 28
Book Fair

Thursday, September 27
6:00PM-7:00PM   5th grade Music Program

Friday, September 28
10:40AM-1:10PM KISS Cookout
(Kids Invite Someone Special is an opportunity for our students to have lunch with someone dear to them. Please check with your child’s teacher for their lunch time)

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Teyan Page
Proud Principal