Roadrunner News

August 13, 2024

School Hours 7:35 - 2:50 pm

Doors open at 7:05 am

Hello Roadrunners!

Welcome to the new school year! I hope this newsletter finds you and your families well-rested and ready for an exciting year ahead. I am honored as your principal, to welcome you all back to River Oaks Elementary for the 2024-2025 school year! This is my 24th year in education and my 10th year at River Oaks. I am the proud mother of two boys (Lucas and Sebastian) who are also attending River Oaks in 4th grade and Kindergarten.

At River Oaks we will continue to focus on the core values of the school: respectful and responsible students in a safe environment while encouraging our school theme "Learning is a journey, not a destination. We will continue to work hard to ensure that our students are learning at high levels because they are respected, challenged, supported, and cared for. We invite you to become an active participant in our school community through volunteering, joining our PTO, or attending and supporting school events. Research shows that when parents/guardians participate and are involved in their child’s education, there is a greater likelihood of academic success for the child.

We believe that communication is the key to a successful educational experience. For that reason, we ask that all parents communicate with your child’s teacher frequently. Together, we will continue to improve the quality of our school community and provide the best for the children of River Oaks Elementary. Education is a partnership between the school, students, parents/guardians, and community. All children are more successful when we work as a team to achieve educational goals.

Warm regards,

Jennifer Garza

Principal

River Oaks Elementary

🧘🏻 I hope you caught up on rest

📖 Read a great book

🍿 Saw a fun movie

🙉 And now it's time to get ready for... the greatest year ever!

Here's all the info you need in advance of our return. Excited to see you soon! 👋

If you do not wish to wait in the car line, you can park in the side parking lot to drop off and pick up your child.

Arrival: Parents can walk their child to class on their first day of school. After that, parents will need to sign in the front office to walk their child to class or they can drop off their child in the "hugs and kisses" zone in the main hallway for their child to walk to class independently.

During dismissal, you will be asked to walk to the crosswalk and a staff member will walk your student across to you. Remember to always use the crosswalk at River Oaks. Please do not cross streets or drives unless you are in a crosswalk.

Showing up for the educational day has a big impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play an important role in making sure students get to school safely everyday and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life. We understand some absences can be unavoidable due to health issues or extenuating circumstances. We also know that when students miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall behind academically. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she is chronically absent—which means missing 15 or more days over the course of an entire school year.

Research shows:

• Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
• By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school.
• By 9th grade good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th grade test scores.

Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:

1. Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.

2. Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

3. Ensure your students go to school every day unless they are truly sick. Avoid scheduling

vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.

4. Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.

5. Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.

If your child is absent, please send a doctor's note to the office or call 512-594-5000.

We're thrilled to announce a new volunteer application process for Pflugerville ISD and River Oaks for the 2024-2025 school year!

To continue volunteering for River Oaks, please complete the volunteer background application below.

We hope you find this process easy and efficient. Your willingness to contribute your time and skills undoubtedly positively impact our school community.

If you have any questions or comments about our Volunteer process, please email volunteers@pfisd.net.

Thank you for joining us in our mission to create a positive and supportive learning environment for our students. Your dedication is what makes our community thrive. We can't wait to see the incredible contributions you'll bring to River Oaks next school year!

The PfISD Extended Day Program is a tuition based after school childcare program, offering a safe and secure environment for students in PK-5th grade.

Location: All PfISD Elementary Schools

Time: School Dismissal - 6:30 p.m.

Registration fee: $50 per child, $125 maximum for family with three or more children (Due at time of registration/contract approval.)

Schedule options / Tuition rate: The Extended Day Program has multiple schedule and tuition options. Our Full Time Option is our best value.

Full Time Option: $280 per month/child

M/W/F Part Time Option: $20 per day/child

T/TH/F Part Time Option: $20 per day/child

(All tuition is due on the 1st of each month whether your student attends the program or not as you are paying to reserve your student‘s spot in the program.)

Financial Assistance Available: CCS/CCMS - Accepted EDP Financial Aid Applications available once proof of being waitlisted for CCS/CCMS is provided.

For questions or more information contact the EDP office at 512-594-1948

The Pflugerville Independent School District (PfISD) will provide free breakfast and lunch to students at no charge for the 2024-2025 school year at River Oaks Elementary. River Oaks qualified to operate under the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows PfISD to provide breakfast and lunch at no-charge to all students, eliminating the need for the free and reduced meal application under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

In order for our District and campus to receive an accurate accountability rating, Title I and State Compensatory Education funding, PfISD is required to collect and report the socioeconomic status of each student to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Normally, PfISD uses the NSLP meal application to determine a student's status, but we may not use the NSLP meal application for CEP campuses.

PfISD is requesting that families complete our District's Socioeconomic Information Form. Your reported income levels found on the form and the form itself will not be sent to TEA. PfISD will only report a student's socioeconomic status to TEA using the information found on the form. All households will need to complete Socio Economic Information form which will help River Oaks qualify for programs and funding, as well as the district. Please click on the QR code to fill out this form.

Every Wednesday, we encourage students and staff to wear a college t-shirt. The purpose is to spark conversation with students about how the decisions they make daily in elementary school have an impact on their options beyond elementary. We want to encourage our students to start making wise educational decisions starting now.

Please join us for our first PTO meeting on Thursday, August 22nd from 5:30 - 6:30 pm in the River Oaks library.

Follow River Oaks PTO on Facebook!

August 6, 2024 - Popsicles in the Park 5:30 - 6:30 pm

August 9, 2024 - Meet the Teacher 4:30 - 6:30 pm

August 13, 2024 - First Day of School

August 22, 2024 - PTO Meeting 5:30 - 6:30 pm in library

August 29, 2024 - Open House 4:30 - 6:30 pm

Principal: Jennifer.Garza@pfisd.net

Assistant Principal: Milton.Perez@pfisd.net

Counselor: Amber.Herrera@pfisd.net
Website: https://www.pfisd.net/Page/479
Location: 12401 Scofield Farms Dr. Austin TX 78758
Phone: (512) 594-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverOaksES/