Rosedale
proudly presents the January edition of:
Principal Nelson's Newsletter
Royal Raccoons-
What a break! 19 consecutive days off for staff and 20 for students allows us to reconnect with family, share in celebrations, and watch copious amounts of football. Whether you park your car in the College Football garage or the NFL one, celebrate Christmas or Hannukah or Kwanza or Boxing Day, or abstain, the Winter Break is an equal opportunity provider of good times for all.
Feeding the Buffalo:
During this break (ahhh...the break), my family and I dedicated our time together by crafting unique experiences and traveling around Central Texas. We spent three nights in Fredericksburg and soaked up the German culture, played board games, and even went to the Johnson City Exotic Zoo. Aside from eating my weight in bratwurst, my highlight was feeding a bison by hand. Our girls fed camels and emus, got to pet zebras, and even got to see a baby roo (redundant, I know) poking its head out of his momma’s pouch. It is an experience they will never forget and undoubtedly holds more value than any pink and purple plastic toy they received from Santa.
This is what we are trying to do with our students: provide experiences. We want our students to be subjected to as many unique experiences and opportunities as possible. This is why we take them to the Mall, to the Nutcracker Ballet, and even to Chipotle for a lunch run on Tuesday; we want them to see the world and the world to see them. How can we know what our students want and desire in the confines of a classroom? We must expose them to as many environmental stimuli as possible and then take data on what they like, love, and can’t stand. We cannot begin to hypothesize what entertains or excites them outside the hallowed halls of Rosedale until we take them on a shared experience off campus.
Then, once they feed the bison by hand and get licked by the most enormous tongue on Earth, they can let us know that it’s not their cup of tea.
Our charge is to provide as many sips from as many cups of tea as possible.
PTA Meeting and Cookie Exchange:
Before the break (ahh...the break), we held a PTA Meeting/Cookie Exchange in the conference room, and I have to tell you, it was my absolute favorite PTA event ever! The group present perfectly represented our student body, and it was awe-inspiring to see parents and caregivers connect. We are a family here at Rosedale, and the amassed group attested to that. Cookies, Chili’s, and confections (the 3 Cs of any successful PTA meeting)were served, accompanied by smiles and stories. It was a perfect way to celebrate the season and a fantastic way to connect with our community.
You need to start if you haven’t been to a PTA meeting yet. The PTA is 100% dedicated to simplifying the lives of our students, staff, and one another. If you ever feel you are on an island raising a student with Special Needs, one PTA meeting or meet-up will let you know that Rosedale is a continent. As big as the most enormous ocean and filled with enough love and knowledge to ensure you and yours will always be taken care of. Please join this unique and beautiful support group and share your stories with others.
Happy New Year, Rosedale! It’s hard to believe this year will be better than the last, but I promise it will top it! We as a community strive to make each day better than the one before, yet not as good as the next one coming. We can do this because, like you, we believe in the potential of our students and do not believe in limits.
Matthew Nelson
Principal
Rosedale
7505 Silvercrest Dr.
Austin, TX 78757
512-414-3617 ext. 70744 office
No School on January 15th (MLK Day)
Martin Luther King Day (MLK Day)is a federal holiday in the United States that honors the civil rights leader and activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, close to Dr. King's birthday on January 15th. It is also a National Day of Service. Please check the link below for some service opportunities in and around Austin.
Please use this form (click above) for your student if h/she is going to be arriving late or will be attending any doctor's appointments or therapies. For questions, please contact Tracy Castillo at (512) 414-3617 ext. 57110
Each newsletter we will showcase two Rosedale Raccoon staff members and ask them five random questions. Be forewarned, the questions are random and chaotic and may not pertain to what we do here each day at Rosedale, but they should give you a glimpse of the inner-workings of those who have answered the call of awesomeness.
Kennya Clark: Blue Wing TA and Giants Fan (we can't all be perfect)
- What's the highest number you've ever counted to? 500. I was getting an MRI and counted to help ease the anxiety (no truth to the rumor that she told the attendant if she wasn't done by the time she got to 600 she'd make it so he needed an MRI too)
- Which is more important -beauty, power, or money? Power. With power you can accomplish anything. Money without power is irrelevant. Beauty. I have that one covered
- What is the most disgusting food you have ever eaten? As a child, pickled beats. As an adult, chitlins or rather, cooked pig intestines. (try keeping those in your mouth for 500 seconds)
- What is something that everybody looks stupid doing? Holding one in or crawling on the floor, barking like a dog (impossible to accomplish both activities at the same time...trust me)
- Have you ever been in a food fight? For my child's 5th grade birthday party, we were at my sisters house and shoved some faces in the cake, which led to cake being thrown and before you knew it, queso was everywhere! (that's a pro-parenting move: food fight for your child not at your house)
Carmen Alvarado: Moved from TLC Maven to Administrative Assistant (aka "the Boss)
1. Which do you like better, butter or cheese? Cheese. Butter gets stuck to the roof of your mouth. (this is why I take my butter intravenously)
2. What’s your most embarrassing moment? I was using the restroom during 4th grade in the portables and started singing a song (of course) and apparently both sides of the portable heard and then gathered around and started applauding. It was Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog. I stayed in the restroom until the end of the day, too embarrassed to leave.
3. Which is creepier-walking up behind somebody creepily or staring at them through binoculars? Definitely walking up behind somebody. If anybody does that to me...quick reflexes...they get punched!
4. Do you turn the music down when looking for an address? Yes. The music can be too distracting.(Especially when it's Rainbow Connection...PTSD)
5. What's a song you pretend you do not like because it's embarrassing that you love it ? Shake it Off by Tay Tay. (My Swiftie friends and I disagree with this statement. It has caused Bad Blood between us and I now consider her my Anti-Hero)
Sam "May Day" Marion: VAC/BCBA/TLC/AISDTOY/MED/R13TOY/PYT/ASAP/TTYL
- If you could change one thing about your past, what would it be? (since her daughter is in the room) Nothing. I love where I am and wouldn't change a thing. (her daughter goes outside to play) Well, being so far from home is tough. I guess I would have chosen to go to college some where closer to my parents in Pennsylvania, meaning everything would probably be different. (thank goodness the lil' one left for this blow)
- Would you rather time-travel to the past or to the future?? Since we've been watching nothing but dinosaur shows the last 19 days (love that break time!) I think I'd like to go to the past. Not to see dinosaurs per se, but to see where we came from.
- How many pairs of pants do you own? You'd think over the break I only owned two (again, love that break!) but I'd say it's 21 if you combine blue jeans, yoga pants, and sweats in the mix. One pair for 3 weeks straight (guess we didn't launder during the break...still love it though!)
- What is invisible that you wish people could see? People's tolerance or attention level when I am speaking to them. That way I could see when to speed up, check for understanding, or simply stop talking altogether. Like this morning (she presented to the staff) if I could see whether or not at least 10% were paying attention (that's a high bar) I could modify accordingly.
- What part of your body do you wish was detachable? My head. That way the rest of my body could work and my head cold go hide and take a nap. (also, if people's heads could detach, she could definitely tell who was paying attention when she's presenting: if 95% of the audience is headless, you either quit talking or show Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow)
Rosedale PTA Information
